EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball team enjoyed a successful home opener against Chestnut Hill at Koehler Fieldhouse Monday night, defeating the Griffins 96-75.
NOTABLES
- In all three of his games as a Warrior, Adrian Brito has reached double-digits in points, leading ESU tonight with 18. The freshman was 7-12 from the field and grabbed seven boards in a complete game effort.
- The guard duo of Ethan Maynard and Ethan Millirons caught fire from three-point range a couple of times tonight, as the pair combined for 7-11 shooting from distance. Maynard finished the night with 14 points and Millirons pitched in with 12.
- Nasir Griffin came up two rebounds shy of a double-double, posting a 10-point, eight-rebound stat line. Griffin was 5-8 from the field and also recorded four assists.
- Kevin Coleman had a noteworthy two-way performance, putting up 12 points on five makes and a free throw, while also tallying three blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Going into the first media timeout, the game was fairly even as ESU held a six-point advantage. The second unit, led by Brito and Keni Williams, helped spark the offense. The two came up with fastbreak layups and full-court pressure to force turnovers and push the Warriors' lead up to 14 near the midway mark of the half.
- The Warriors' offense hit a little bit of a lull, allowing Chestnut Hill to get within nine points with four minutes left. Jalen Pichardo chased down a long rebound off a missed three-pointer, securing possession into a timeout that shifted momentum ESU's way. Maynard and Brito scored eight-straight to increase the lead and carry East Stroudsburg into the half with a 50-36 lead.
- The Warriors had an excellent first four minutes of the second half, going on a 14-2 run out of the break. Griffin got the action started with a dunk to get the crowd going on the first possession and another one two possessions later, while Maynard hit three free throws and a three-pointer. Terrell Pitts and Williams capped off the run with layups of their own to give ESU a 64-38 lead. As a couple of reserve players came back on to keep the lineup fresh, ESU's lead hit the 30-point mark shortly after. Millirons hit a couple of threes off assists from Williams, and Carson Howard got involved offensively in the paint as well.
- The Griffins chipped away at the lead the Warriors built, but never got closer than 20-points before the second half expired.
GAME NOTES
- East Stroudsburg held solid advantages over the Griffins in points in the paint (56-38), second chance points (24-13), and bench scoring (53-35).
- The Warriors shot 55.9% from the field and 45.0% from distance, their best marks this season. They only shot better from the field once last year and from three-point range three times.
UP NEXT
- After completing a stretch of three games in four days to start the season, the Warriors get a much-deserved break before their next game against Georgian Court. ESU will take the floor at 7:00 p.m. next Tuesday at Koehler Fieldhouse.
