EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU men's basketball team defeated Shippensburg in the First Round of the PSAC Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals with an 87-80 win.
 
NOTABLES

• Keni Williams led the team with 16 points off the bench. The freshman guard was nails from the free-throw line, making eight of his 10 attempts.
• Jalen Pichardo had a dominant performance inside the paint, posting a double-double and creating problems for the Raiders. He scored 14 points on 4-7 shooting, grabbing six defensive rebounds and four on the offensive glass.
• Adrian Brito had another status quo game for his standards, adding 15 points. He's continued to score in bunches efficiently for ESU, shooting 5-9 from the field and 5-7 from the charity stripe.
• Ethan Millirons and Nasir Griffin also reached double figures in each of their final home games in Koehler Fieldhouse. Millirons shot 4-5 from the field and split his three-point attempts, while Griffin had an all-around solid game with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Shippensburg matched ESU's pace off tip-off, as the Warriors only led by one point after the first nine minutes. Six different players registered points to open the scoring for the Warriors with their first 12 points. Leading 15-14, ESU outscored the Raiders 28-15 to end the half. Shippensburg committed six turnovers, and ESU doubled up Shippensburg on its makes from the field, going into halftime with a 43-29 lead.
• The Warriors had a strong opening to the second half, keeping their lead in double figures to start the final frame. Christian Pierre-Louis had a noticeable impact all over the floor coming out of the break, grabbing eight points and recording three assists while scoring six points. He and the Warriors were swarming Shippensburg as the game looked to be getting out of reach, with ESU leading 67-45 with 10:45 left.
• However, right when it looked like ESU's push would be enough to put the game away, Shippensburg stormed back over the course of the next 10 minutes. Outscoring the Warriors 31-13, the Raiders shot 66.7% from the field and recorded four steals on six turnovers, holding ESU to 3-11 shooting from the field to make it 80-76 in the final minute. The Warriors were able to secure the win with their free-throw shooting, making eight of their nine attempts in the final minute, holding on to win 87-80.

 
GAME NOTES

• After 125 meetings between East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg, the Warriors finally have their first win against the Raiders in the PSAC Tournament. Shippensburg had won both of the previous meetings in 2023 and 2017.

 
UP NEXT
The Warriors travel to Gannon for the PSAC Quarterfinals, with tipoff slated for 7:30 p.m. in Erie, Pa., on Wednesday, March 4.