EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The Warriors and Golden Rams went down to the wire on Thursday night, but West Chester came away with the narrow victory, 85-82.
NOTABLES
- It was a career game for Nasir Griffin, putting up 21 of his career-high 26 points in the first half. Griffin went 7-10 from the field and 11-15 from the free throw line, recording four rebounds, four assists, and a block to complete his performance.
- Keni Williams shot an identical line from the field as Griffin, also going 7-10, putting up 15 points.
- Jalen Pichardo had a good night in the paint for the Warriors, putting up 10 points with six rebounds. Pichardo was a consistent option on entry passes, going 5-7 from the field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game got off to a raucous start, with 10 fouls called before the game's first media timeout. Once both teams started to settle in, ESU slowly pulled ahead thanks to seven points from Griffin, four from Williams, and a three-pointer from Millirons to lead 18-14 after the first quarter of the game.
- Griffin continued his hot start, carrying the Warriors' offense to close the half. The senior forward accounted for 21 of ESU's 44 first-half points. With five minutes before the half, West Chester tied the game at 30 all. During that final stretch to halftime, Griffin and Payne combined for 14 points, with Payne hitting a pull-up jumper just before the clock expired, putting ESU ahead 44-39.
- After going back-and-forth in the first five minutes of the second half, West Chester mounted a run to take the lead and build a slight cushion, taking a 64-59 lead with 12:45 remaining.
- Down the stretch, the Golden Rams had an answer for each basket the Warriors converted and came up with stops to match ESU's defense, remaining ahead for the rest of the game. For the final 11:40 of regulation, ESU trailed West Chester by three or fewer points for 9:03 as the Golden Rams held on to win 85-82.
GAME NOTES
- The Golden Rams were able to pull ahead in the second half with their three-point shooting, going 6-10 in the final frame while ESU went just 1-7.
- Though the Warriors shot better from the free-throw line in the second half, overall, ESU went 21-37.
- The Warriors lived inside the paint, outscoring the Golden Rams 44-32 down low.
UP NEXT
ESU looks to rebound quickly, hosting Millersville this weekend in an important matchup for PSAC seeding. The Warriors take on the Marauders at 3:00 on Saturday, Jan. 31 in Koehler Fieldhouse.
