EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men’s basketball team looks to pick up where it left off after three straight conference wins headed into Tuesday night’s contest against Bloomsburg.

SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG

• ESU comes into the game in a four-way tie for first place in the division, boasting a 4-3 in-conference record, while going 10-4 overall up to this point. The Warriors have bounced back after a midseason stumble, responding to a three-game losing streak with three consecutive wins. East Stroudsburg opened up PSAC East play at Millersville and against Shepherd last week, picking up two early victories that could hold weight in the end-of-season standings. 
• Terrell Pitts was recently announced as the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week for his performances against the Marauders and Rams, helping limit each team’s top offensive threat while keeping the rest of their offenses in check. Pitts went up against Millersville’s Day Waters and Shepherd’s Marcus Banks, the now fourth- and fifth-highest scorers in the conference after facing Pitts. The bench guard played pivotal defensive minutes for ESU, holding both below their scoring average while committing just two fouls in each game.
• Keni Williams has continued his upward trend in usage and playing time, as he closed the game for the Warriors against Shepherd. It was Williams’ game-winning layup in the final seconds that was the difference in the game, as he finished with 12 points in 22 minutes, going 5-11 from the field. 
• Adrian Brito had another consistent offensive performance, recording his usual double-digit points while contributing throughout the box score. In the win over the Rams, Brito went perfect from the field on seven field goal attempts, including one three-pointer, while also grabbing eight rebounds. 
• Saleem Payne finished the game with his first double-digit scoring performance as a Warrior, recording 10 points on 4-7 shooting. Payne made two of his three three-point attempts as well, making his fourth consecutive start.
• Jalen Pichardo grabbed five more rebounds on Saturday, including three on the offensive glass. The junior forward still leads the PSAC in offensive rebounds per game with 3.6, and is seventh with 7.6 RPG.
• As a team, ESU leads the conference in two categories: bench points per game and assists per game. The Warriors score 44.2 PPG from their bench, the second most in Division II, and are led by Brito’s 12.9 PPG and Williams’ 10.2 PPG. ESU averages 17.7 APG, with Williams’ 3.2 APG leading the team.

SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG

• Bloomsburg is currently tied for 5th in the PSAC East, with a record of 1-5 in conference play, and an overall record of 4-9 this season.
• The Huskies season has been very up and down, with multiple winning and losing streaks. After dropping three to start the year, Bloomsburg won two straight, only to lose its next six in a row. They are currently riding a two game winning streak, coming out on top in two tight battles against PSAC East foe, Shippensburg, and Cheyney, which was an overtime thriller.
• It is a fairly new roster for the Huskies with only four returning players from the previous season. With 2024-25 PSAC East 2nd Team Honoree Matt Bengel graduating, Bloomsburg has had to fill a gap after losing its leading scorer. Redshirt freshman guard Ries Naugle has stepped into this role so far, leading the way with 12.4 points per game. In a loss to Edinboro this month, Naugle scored a career-high 30 points, shooting 11-20 from the field and hitting three shots form behind the arc.
• The team has a strong back court that has been key to its success so far this season. Along with Naugle, guards Courtney Davis II and Xion Nichols have proved themselves as scoring threats. Davis II is averaging 8.5 points per game, and he tallied an impressive 17 points last game in a road overtime victory over Cheyney. Nichols is averaging 6.9 points per game. Naugle and Davis II are leading the team in assists as well, Davis II with 2.4 APG and Naugle with 1.3.
• Sophomore George Sabatini has been a big impact player for Bloomsburg this year. The wing is averaging 6.9 PPG and 6.2 RPG. Sabatini recorded an impressive double-double against Penn State Scranton, recording 13 points and 13 rebounds in only 23 minutes.
• Four freshmen have proven their value to the Huskies so far this season. Guards Kodi Johnson and Chase Smucker have appeared in all 13 games, with Johnson averaging 6.5 PPG and Smucker adding 5.8. Forwards Thaddeus Lee and RJ Young have both appeared in 11 games as well. Lee has scored in double figures the past two games, while Young is second on the team in rebounds with 6.2 per game.
• Bloomsburg is averaging 65.9 PPG while allowing 75.6 PPG. They are shooting 34.7% from three point range, which is 7th best in the PSAC. The Huskies have the 3rd best free throw percentage in the PSAC, shooting 72.3%.

SERIES HISTORY

• The history between these two teams dates back to 1927, with Bloomsburg having the head-to-head advantage with an 89-85 record. 
• However, with head coach Jeff Wilson on the bench, the Warriors have dominated since 2003, winning 34 of the 44 games played. Since Chris Bass took over as head coach for Bloomsburg in 2022, ESU has gone 6-0 with an average scoring margin of +25.3. During that stretch, ESU recorded the second-largest margin of victory for either side in the all-time series, beating Bloomsburg 118-68 on Feb. 21, 2024, in Koehler Fieldhouse.