EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball looks to get back in the win column and secure its first conference victory of the season tomorrow evening at Clarion. The Warriors take on the Golden Eagles as both teams are looking to avenge their losses to open up PSAC play, with Clarion coming off a road loss to Millersville the same day the Warriors fell to Seton Hill. ESU enters the contest with a 6-1 record and the sixth-best offense in Division II, while the 5-4 Golden Eagles aim to defend home court.

SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG

• ESU started the 2025-26 season by winning its first six games, but the Warriors suffered their first loss in their last outing at home against Seton Hill to open conference play. The Warriors battled back late in the second half to force overtime, but the Griffins pulled away in the extra period.
• The Warriors’ six wins are tied for the 4th-most overall wins in the conference.
• The Warriors boast one of the best offenses in Division II, averaging 96.4 PPG, the 6th-best mark in the country. Though their scoring defense hasn’t been up to the same level of production, they’ve built up a healthy average scoring margin of +12.9 PPG, 4th in the PSAC and inside the top-50 in Division II.
• One of the problems opposing defenses have faced when trying to gameplan around the ESU offense is the Warriors’ scoring depth. East Stroudsburg averages 49.0 PPG from its bench, the best in Division II and nearly 15.0 points better than the next-best team in the PSAC. ESU is one of three teams in the country that is averaging over 45.0 PPG from its second unit, as the Warriors are led by Ethan Millirons and Adrian Brito coming off the bench. Millirons went through a stretch in the second half against Seton Hill where he couldn’t miss from deep, recording his first 20-point game as a Warrior with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. That outing helped boost Millirons three-point percentage to 57.4%, the 2nd-best in Division II. Brito has been the most reliable scorer for ESU, contributing with 14 points against the Griffins as he’s averaged 14.1 PPG while making 69.8% of his attempts, the 3rd-best figure in Division II.
• Another aspect of ESU’s game that has helped the Warriors start the year strong has been its ability to force turnovers. Whether that’s been with their full-court press or jumping passing lanes in the halfcourt, the Warriors rank 7th in Division II and 2nd in the conference with 20.6 turnovers forced per game. That’s helped fuel their transition offense, moving the ball up the floor quickly and leading to plenty of assists, which they average 21.1 per game, the 2nd-best mark in Division II.
• Despite dealing with some injuries to start the season, two constants of ESU’s starting lineup in all seven outings this season has been junior forward Jalen Pichardo and sophomore guard Ethan Maynard. Pichardo’s calling card has been has work on the glass, as he’s totaled 37 rebounds in his last three games, including a career-high 17 against Mercy. On the season, he’s averaging 8.0 RPG, the 6th-best in the PSAC, and his 3.29 offensive
  rebounds per game rank inside the top-50 in Division II. Maynard has started to settle in as the starting five’s leading scorer, recording 22 points against Seton Hill, his best outing as a Warrior. Maynard has excelled from three-point range so far, as he ranks inside the top-40 in the country in three-point field goals per game, 3.86, and three-point percentage, 44.7%.

SCOUTING CLARION

• Off to a 5-4 start and dropping their first PSAC game at Millersville, the Golden Eagles rank fairly close to middle-of-the-pack in most statistical
  categories across Division II. The one area that jumps out is their ability to score in transition. Clarion currently scores the 8th-most fastbreak points with 20.11 PPG. Being able to move the ball up the floor has helped the Golden Eagles average 18.0 APG, the 25th-best in Division II, and 86.2 PPG, 44th-best.
• Trey Nelson has been one of the best passers in the country, as he leads Clarion and the PSAC with 6.9 APG. That number is the third-best in Division II, as he’s recorded double-digit assists in two of Clarions’ last three games with 26 total during that stretch.
• Jeremy Thomas II is one of three players in Division II to record a triple-double so far this season. In Clarion’s game against Frostburg State on Nov. 19, the forward scored 10 points while shooting 4-for-4 from the field, grabbing 11 rebounds and recording 10 assists. On the season, Thomas II averages 12.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.3 APG.
• Gavin Cote leads the Golden Eagles in scoring, averaging the 10th-most points in the PSAC with 13.6 PPG. The guard is shooting 43.0% from the field and 40.0 from three-point distance, also making a dependable 79.3% of his free throws.
• Clarion’s second-leading scorer is guard Kendon Peebles. Averaging 15.0 PPG, Peebles scored a career-high 30 points in the Golden Eagles’ second game of the season against Wheeling. He’s reached double figures in eight games this year and is shooting 49.5% from the field and 88.0% from the charity stripe.

SERIES HISTORY

• ESU owns the advantage in the all-time series against Clarion with a 13-8 record. Clarion won five of the first six meetings from 1994 to 2004, but since head coach Jeff Wilson took over, it’s been all ESU. The Warriors have won each of the last eight meetings and 12 of the last 15. During their eight-game winning streak against Clarion going back to 2012, ESU has won by an average of 28.4 PPG.