SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball team picked up its first victory of 2026 at Slippery Rock, winning 84-76 over The Rock. The Warriors improved to 8-4 overall and 2-3 in-conference.
NOTABLES
- Carson Howard came off the bench and led ESU in scoring, finishing with 16 points. Howard shot 70.0% from the field, his second-best scoring game of the season.
- Ethan Maynard and Adrian Brito both scored 11 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Warriors. Maynard came away with four steals, a season-high for the sophomore guard. Brito nearly ended up with a double-double, finishing one board shy as he grabbed seven defensive rebounds and two on the offensive glass.
- Keni Williams has started to see his usage trend upwards, as the freshman guard has excelled as a passer in his role. Williams played over 20 minutes for the third-straight game and recorded a team-high four assists in the win.
- Ethan Millirons, the top three-point shooter in the PSAC, enjoyed a nice bounce-back game from beyond the arc, finishing 3-of-5 from deep. Millirons is up to 52.1% on his three point attempts this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Maynard opened the scoring after ESU came up empty on its first four possessions shaking his defender before making a pull-up jumper. Immediately after, the Warriors brought their second unit on the court and found a rhythm offensively. Brito and Williams combined for ESU's next six points, putting ESU ahead, 8-7, going into the first media timeout.
- Near the midway point of the first half, the Warriors made the first run of the game to take a comfortable lead. Nasir Griffin began a 16-1 run that spanned 3:28 with a pair of free throws, a trend throughout the game as ESU enjoyed its best game this season from the charity stripe. Outside shooting fueled the run, as Maynard, Millirons, and Griffin combined for 4-for-4 from three-point range. With a made layup from Howard in the middle of that stretch, ESU didn't miss a shot from the field or free throw line to take a 32-16 lead with 5:50 remaining in the half.
- The Rock stopped the run with two makes at the free throw line, ending the first half by outscoring ESU 19-10 to make it 42-35 at the break.
- The Warriors kept their halftime lead for the first 10 minutes of the final half, but Slippery Rock began to chip away with some free throws by Sheick Samoura and a layup from RJ Sledge to make it a four-point game. That would be the closest The Rock would get the rest of the game, as ESU responded with an 8-0 run to regain some breathing room in the final five minutes. After The Rock made it 69-63 with 2:37 left, the Warriors shot 4-for-5 from the field and 8-of-12 from the free throw line to ice the game.
GAME NOTES
- All 10 Warriors that played recorded over 14 minutes of playing time and scored at least two points.
- ESU shot 73.3% from the free throw line, making 22 of its 30 attempts. It's the best percentage the Warriors have shot from the line and their second time this season shooting better than 70.0%
- The win stopped a three-game skid for the Warriors, finishing PSAC crossover play with a 2-3 in-conference record. Friday's game against California (Pa.) did not count towards the Warriors' PSAC record.
UP NEXT
The Warriors open PSAC East competition with a road game at Millersville. ESU heads south to take on the Marauders at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
