BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball team handled Bloomsburg on the road on Wednesday night, coming away with an 82-60 win to improve to 10-5 in conference.
NOTABLES
- Adrian Brito had an unusually quiet two-game stretch, but the freshman was a game-wrecker against the Huskies tonight. Brito recorded his first career double-double, tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds.
- The Huskies didn't have any answers for ESU's play in the post, unable to contain Carson Howard or Jalen Pichardo. Howard went perfect from the field on five attempts, leading ESU with 13 points. Pichardo also made all of his field goal attempts, going 3-3, while grabbing seven rebounds.
- Ethan Millirons was the fourth Warrior to reach double-digit scoring, adding 10 points for ESU. Millirons went 3-7 with all of his shots coming from three-point range.
- Redshirt senior guard Davon Lee made his return from injury tonight, coming off the bench and playing eight minutes. Lee went 1-3 from the field in his first game since Nov. 17 earlier this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first five minutes were evenly played, as ESU held a 10-8 advantage, with Christian Pierre-Louis scoring the first four points for the Warriors. An 11-2 run gave the Warriors their first lead with a cushion of the game, holding Bloomsburg to just four field goal attempts and forcing four turnovers during five minutes.
- For a moment, Bloomsburg looked to have a response, trimming the ESU lead to 18-14. However, the Warriors repeated their first-half dominance from the first meeting in this game, outscoring the Huskies 25-7 until the final minute of the half. ESU shot 11-17 during the nine-minute run and played equally as well on defense. Bloomsburg shot just 20.0% from the field while coughing up seven turnovers. The Huskies scored the final four points of the half, but the lead had risen to 43-25 after the first 20 minutes.
- Just as ESU jumped out to a large lead at halftime when the two teams played weeks ago, the second half was played more evenly. Although ESU did outscore Bloomsburg in the second half this time around. The Warriors' lead never dipped below 16 points and peaked at 35. ESU put the game comfortably out of reach with a 22-7 run that featured points from eight different players, showcasing the Warriors' offensive depth. Bloomsburg made up some of that ground over the final eight minutes, making the score 82-60.
GAME NOTES
- ESU has now won 11-straight games against Bloomsburg, a streak that started with a win in February 2020. The last five games have all been ESU wins by at least 22 points.
- The Warriors have not lost in Bloomsburg in 14 years. Since the Huskies' last home win against ESU, the Warriors have won 13 games in a row.
- Howard's shooting line of 5-5 from the field was his most makes without a miss. He went 4-4 in his freshman season against Mansfield on March 4, 2024.
- Brito is the first ESU freshman to record a double-double in two seasons. The last Warrior in their first season to do so was Howard, who posted 13 points and 10 rebounds against Millersville on Jan. 27, 2024.
UP NEXT
Next on the schedule for ESU is a top-four matchup in the PSAC East, as the Warriors take on the Rams at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 in Shepherdstown, W. Va.
