EAST STROUDSBURG – Tied at 59-59 with six minutes remaining, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team closed the game on an 18-9 surge to take down PSAC East leading West Chester, 77-68, on Wednesday evening inside Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Warriors (11-3, 5-2 PSAC) moved into sole possession of second place in the standings with the victory. The Golden Rams (12-3, 7-1) suffer their first conference loss and see their 12-game winning streak snapped.
Lakeem McAliley (24 points) and
Cam Young (16 points) combined for 40 points in the victory to lead ESU.
Notables
- McAliley registered game-highs in points (24 pts., 8-17 FG, 7-8 FT) and rebounds (11 reb.), along with leading the Warriors with five assists and five steals in the double-double performance. The double-double was his second of the season and the 12th of his career. He matched his season-high in assists and achieved 2024-25 bests in steals and blocks.
- Young, a two-time PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week, knocked down six of his seven field goal attempts, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He added six boards, four steals and a pair of blocks.
- Nasir Griffin posted seven points, while Evan Morton and Jalen Pichardo notched six.
- The Warrior defense forced 25 turnovers, which converted into 23 points off turnovers.
- The chippy contest featured nine lead changes and six tied scores.
How It Happened
- ESU built an early 11-4 lead before the Golden Rams registered eight consecutive points to take the lead. The Warriors countered with an 8-0 sprint to grab a seven points edge. The back-and-forth affair continued, as ESU took a four-point lead into the locker room at 38-34.
- WCU came out of the locker room strong with a 12-2 run to take a 46-40 advantage. A 14-7 Warrior run lifted ESU to a slim 54-53 edge. After WCU tied the game at 59-59, ESU took control and held WCU to shoot 4-13 over the final six minutes to end the Golden Rams' winning streak in the 77-68 victory.
Up Next
- ESU heads to Lock Haven on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 3 p.m., seeking its third consecutive win.
