EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team came up short in the PSAC quarterfinals, falling 79-67 to Shepherd at Koehler Fieldhouse.
With the loss, the Warriors (21-8, 15-6 PSAC) hopes for a spot in the NCAA Regionals. Meanwhile, the Rams (20-10, 14-7 PSAC) will host the PSAC Championship and face California (Pa.) in the semifinals.
Notables
Lakeem McAliley led ESU with 24 points, hitting four 3-pointers and adding eight rebounds.
Evan Morton contributed 17 points and two steals.
Ethan Millirons chipped in 10 points, shooting 3-for-5 from the field.
Jalen Pichardo controlled the glass with eight rebounds while adding six points and a block.
How it happened
ESU kept pace early, shooting 42.4% in the first half and trailing by just four at the break (40-36). The Warriors came out strong in the second half, briefly taking the lead behind McAliley's scoring surge and Morton's perimeter shooting. But in the final seven minutes, the Rams outscored the Warriors 25-10 to secure the quarterfinal victory and advance to the semifinals.
This game marked the final PSAC appearance for McAliley,
Mike Ramos and
Cam Young, who each made significant contributions to the program. This season, McAliley became the second-leading scorer in program history with 1,963 points in 118 games.
Up next
The Warriors still have an outside shot at an NCAA Tournament berth, with the selection show set for Sunday at 11 p.m.
