EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The Warriors return to Koehler Fieldhouse after a quick two-game road trip and look to get back in the win column against Lock Haven on Wednesday night.

SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG

• ESU’s five-game winning streak came to an end after a hard-fought 82-80 loss against Shippensburg on Saturday. After being down the majority of the game, the Warriors had the last shot, but fell short and couldn’t pull off the comeback. They currently sit at 6-4 in conference play, tied with Millersville and a half-game back on West Chester.
• East Stroudsburg had a busy week, going 2-1 in just five days. In that three-game stretch, the Warriors averaged 96.0 PPG, shooting 51.8% from the floor, and posted a very impressive 1.68 A/TO ratio. Their defense held teams to 76.0 PPG while averaging 11.3 SPG.
• Forward Jalen Pichardo continued his week of filling up the stat sheet, achieving his third consecutive double-double against Shippensburg. He averaged 11.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG in those three games. Of his 11.0 RPG, 4.7 were offensive rebounds. Pichardo has continued to prove his toughness every week and is currently seventh in the PSAC, averaging 8.2 RPG.
• Although Ethan Maynard is often noticed for his offensive performances, he was a big contributor to the defensive success for the Warriors this past week, snagging 4.3 SPG from opponents. Maynard was just as effective on offense per usual, scoring 13.7 PPG during the three-game stretch.
• Ethan Millirons has been automatic from downtown and currently has the second-best three-point percentage in the country at 51.1%. Over the last three games, he made eight threes from behind the arc, while only missing four of them. Millirons has been key for the Warriors’ offensive attack this season.
• ESU continues to lead the PSAC in the assist category, averaging 18.1 APG, which is tied for 12th in the nation. This team effort is being led by point guards Keni Williams and Saleem Payne, who are first and third on the team in APG, combining to average 5.4. Payne is starting to find his groove again, coming back from injury, shooting 62.5% from deep in his last four games.
• Over last week’s three-game stretch, the ESU bench averaged 50.0 PPG. The Warriors’ bench has been terrorizing defenses all season, as they are second in the country, averaging 45.2 PPG. This has been largely due to the scoring efforts of freshmen Adrian Brito and Keni Williams. Brito is averaging 12.9 PPG, boasting a PSAC-best 63.0 FG%. Williams has been efficient as well, shooting 40.7% from the floor.
• The centers Carson Howard and Nasir Griffin have been huge for the Warriors. In the previous two games, Howard played bully-ball inside, scoring 11.0 PPG while grabbing 6.5 RPG. Griffin did everything for East Stroudsburg, averaging 11.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.0 APG in their last three matchups.
• The Warriors’ offense has proven to be a force, averaging 89.1 PPG, third-best in the PSAC. They are averaging 15.9 ORPG and 39.5 total RPG, both third-best in the PSAC as well. ESU’s ability to share the ball and rebound has proven to be vital to their 12-5 record so far this season.

SCOUTING LOCK HAVEN

• Lock Haven comes into the game with a 7-9 record overall and a 3-6 in-conference record, winning its last two games against Mansfield and Millersville. The Bald Eagles narrowly made it past the Mountaineers last Tuesday, 78-76, but defeated the Marauders over the weekend, 86-77.
• Dean Coleman-Newsom and Keith Warren led Lock Haven past Millersville, scoring 20 and 17 points, respectively, both in different fashions. Coleman-Newsome did the majority of his scoring from the charity stripe, going 13-14. Warren had an efficient night of scoring, going 7-13 from the field and 3-5 from three-point distance, but didn’t shoot any free throws.
• Another contributor in the Bald Eagles’ victory over Millersville was Dyllon Scott. Scott finished with a near triple-double, pouring in 12 points, with seven coming from the free-throw line, along with a team-high eight rebounds and seven assists. The senior forward has had a stellar season so far, leading the team in points and assists per game.
• Warren, Coleman-Newsom, and Scott steer the offense, all averaging a very similar PPG, combining to score 37.4 of Lock Haven’s 74.6 PPG. Warren and Coleman-Newsom make up a tough-to-guard backcourt, with Warren averaging 12.5 PPG and Coleman-Newsome averaging 12.4 PPG. Scott adds in a threat from the front court, also contributing 12.5 PPG. The evenly divided scoring has made it difficult for opponents to guard.
• Also scoring in double-figures on the season is Blake Deegan, who is averaging 10.1 PPG. The sniper has been shooting 40.7% from behind the three-point line, including an impressive 6-8 from deep against Kutztown on Jan. 10. Not only does Deegan shoot it, but he also crashes the glass hard, leading the team with 6.4 RPG. 
• The Bald Eagles are seventh-ranked in the PSAC in long-range shooting, averaging 8.0 made three-pointers per game. Lock Haven’s specialty in making three-point shots is a team effort, as six different players have made over 10 threes on the season, yet none have made over 30. Keith Warren and Dyllon Scott have both made 20-plus, along with Blake Deegan.
• Freshmen Luke Kennevan and Devon Nelson have solidified important roles for Lock Haven. Kennevan has started all 16 games, averaging 9.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG. Nelson has done a solid job coming off the bench and recording 8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.1 APG.
• Lock Haven has a very balanced scoring offense, providing many different threats for other teams to be worried about. Their defense should be talked about as well, as they are tied for fifth in the PSAC for opponent FG%, holding teams to 43.1% per game. The Bald Eagles average a PSAC-ranked eighth-best 3.31 BPG, with Blake Deegan contributing 0.9 of those.

SERIES HISTORY

• Despite ESU owning the historical advantage over the Bald Eagles with a 45-32 record, Lock Haven won both matchups in each of the last two seasons. Lock Haven has also won its last three games at Koehler Fieldhouse going back to Jan. 19, 2022.
• Before their four-game skid against the Bald Eagles, the Warriors dominated the series against Lock Haven. From the 2014-15 season to the 2022-23 season, ESU won 15 of the 18 games during that stretch.
• Even with the current three-game losing streak at home to the Bald Eagles, the Warriors have had the upper hand when the teams play in East Stroudsburg. ESU has gone 28-12 as the home team against Lock Haven.
• On the coaching side of the preview, ESU Head Coach Jeff Wilson has won double the games he’s lost against Lock Haven, going 25-12 since taking over in 2002. On the opposing bench, Mike Nestor, who became Lock Haven’s coach before the 2011-12 season, is 7-17 against ESU.