EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball hosts Shippensburg this weekend, looking to avenge a mid-January loss on the road to the Raiders in the teams' second meeting of 2026.

SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG

• East Stroudsburg heads into the final stretch of the season, currently in third place in the PSAC East. The Warriors go into this matchup against Shippensburg looking for revenge after dropping the first of their two games in heartbreaking fashion.
• In their last matchup, things came down to the wire, as the Raiders hit a game-winning shot with eight seconds left. The Warriors found themselves in a hole multiple times throughout the game, but climbed their way back each time and gave themselves a chance to win it at the buzzer. Jalen Pichardo, Adrian Brito, Carson Howard, and Ethan Millirons all recorded double-digit points. Pichardo finished with a double-double, and Howard grabbed seven rebounds.
• ESU got back into the win column on Wednesday, defeating Mansfield 106-88, tying its season-high of points for the fourth time. The Warriors and Mountaineers were putting on a scoring clinic in the first half, as ESU would go into the break up 55-51. They would work to take control in the second half and eventually break things off, leading to an 18-point victory.
• The Warriors once again built their offensive attack through their depth, with five players scoring in double-figures and 10 players tallying points. Nasir Griffin was the primary scorer for ESU, recording 22 points, eight coming from the charity stripes. The senior has been producing as the regular season has come to an end, averaging 14.8 PPG over the last six matchups. Griffin added seven rebounds and two assists against Mansfield as well.
• Ethan Maynard has continued to prove himself to be a lethal threat from deep, making four three-pointers for the fourth time this season. He finished with 19 points, two assists, and two steals. Maynard is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.6 PPG.
• Jalen Pichardo was two rebounds shy of recording his seventh double-double of the year. The forward filled the stat sheet, recording 16 points, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal. Pichardo is tied for sixth in the conference in RPG, averaging an impressive count of 8.3. 
• Freshman Adrian Brito was in double-figures again, scoring 15 points, boosting his average to a team-best 12.3 PPG. He added four rebounds and two blocks. Brito is leading the team in blocks as well with 1.0 BPG, which is tied for 10th in the PSAC. 
• A season-high seven assists were tallied by Saleem Payne, who did it without recording a single turnover as well. Payne is second on the team in assists with 2.8 per game, only trailing fellow point guard Keni Williams, who is averaging 3.1 APG.
• The Warriors finished their game against Mansfield with 20 assists and nine turnovers. They currently have a 1.15 assist/turnover ratio and are third in the PSAC in assists, averaging 17.3 APG.
• East Stroudsburg’s offense has been very hard to stop for opponents all year. The Warriors rank 14th in the country in PPG, 2nd in the PSAC, averaging 89.4 PPG.

SCOUTING SHIPPENSBURG

• Shippensburg got the best of East Stroudsburg in their first matchup. The Raiders won a thriller on their home floor, which was a part of a five-game win streak in January. Since that streak ended the first week of February, the Raiders have lost three of their last four, with their lone win happening against West Chester, the overall top-seed in the PSAC East. 
• When the Raiders faced the Warriors in mid-January, their three-headed monster of an offense was tough for ESU to guard. Markus Frank, the second-highest scorer in the PSAC, finished with 20 points. Michael Dickson and Jaydon Smith contributed 14 and 13 of their own points, combining for nine assists as well. Jackson Boone came off the bench and was a key factor in this game, posting a double-double. 
• With four games left to go in the regular season, Shippensburg controls its own destiny. They are currently in fifth place in the PSAC East and are very close to clinching a playoff spot. The Raiders faced Kutztown in their last matchup, and the Golden Bears came out on top. With Frank sidelined for the game, Smith stepped up and scored 22 points. Smith had a great game in their big win over West Chester on February 7, finishing with a season-high 30 points, 14 of them coming from the free throw line. He is averaging 15.3 PPG on the season. 
• Dickson did everything for Shippensburg against Kutztown. He finished the night with five points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Dickson is having a great season, leading the team in assists (4.0 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG), while being third on the team in scoring (12.3 PPG), and hauling in a healthy amount of rebounds for a point guard (4.6 RPG).
• Second in the PSAC in scoring, Frank has been enjoying another standout season. He is averaging 19.4 PPG, only behind Indiana (Pa.)’s Dallis Dillard. He is also leading the Raiders in rebounding, tallying 5.0 RPG. The athletic wing is looking to add to his already outstanding career and will be expecting big numbers to finish the season.
• Timmy Connor got his second straight start of the season against Kutztown and did not disappoint. He recorded 13 points, hitting three shots from downtown. The senior guard is the team's fourth-highest scorer, adding an average of 7.9 PPG. 
• The big man inside, Denzel Figueroa, has been doing things for the Raiders on both ends of the floor. He is contributing 5.4 PPG and 5.0 RPG, while also handing out 1.3 BPG, the third-best in the conference.
• Shippensburg is averaging 75.9 PPG while allowing an average of 77.3 PPG. They have been shooting well from beyond the arc, as they are tied for fifth in the PSAC with a 34.5 3FG%.
• The Raiders currently have a 1.14 assist/turnover ratio, averaging 13.3 APG and 11.7 TOPG. They are losing the rebounding margin by 2.6, grabbing 34.5 RPG and allowing opponents to record an average of 37.1 RPG.

SERIES HISTORY

• Prior to their last meeting, ESU was winners of six-straight against the Raiders.
• Under Head Coach Jeff Wilson, ESU is 24-18 versus Shippensburg. The Warriors had their largest margin of victory two seasons ago when they won 118-63.