Warriors Come Up Short at Lock Haven

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Facing a 14-point deficit with nine minutes remaining, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team trimmed the gap to as low as six but ultimately fell to Lock Haven, 76-67, on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (11-4, 5-3 PSAC) suffered their first PSAC East setback, while the

Bald Eagles (7-7, 4-4) bounced back after Monday's loss to West Chester.

Evan Morton poured in a game-high 20 points to lead ESU, and Lakeem McAliley recorded a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double in just 17 minutes after early foul trouble forced him to sit for much of the first half.

Notables

• Morton's 20-point effort marks the second 20-point performance of his career. The freshman from Matthews, N.C., also dished out a team-high four assists.
• All of McAliley's 14 points and 10 rebounds came in the second half. The Philadelphia native picked up two early fouls, limiting his first-half action. He has now posted double-doubles in back-to-back games, giving him three this season and 13 in his career. McAliley needs 36 points to pass Don Bones (1,775 from 1976-81) for third on ESU's all-time scoring list.
• Carson Howard finished with nine points and four rebounds, while Cam Young contributed seven points, seven rebounds and three steals before fouling out.
• The Warriors were held to a season-low 34.4% (23-of-71) from the floor and 56.5% (13-of-23) from the free-throw line. It was their first game this season scoring fewer than 70 points.

How It Happened

• The teams stayed tight in the opening minutes. After a Howard layup put ESU ahead 15-14, Lock Haven responded with a 3-pointer from Isaiah Stewart that sparked a 20-8 run.
• With LHU up by double digits, Morton drilled one of his four 3-pointers to slice the deficit back to single digits. However, four late free throws by the Bald Eagles extended their lead to 38-28 at halftime.
• Both squads exchanged short runs in the second half, with Lock Haven maintaining its advantage. After matching its game-high lead of 14 points at 55-49 with just over nine minutes remaining, the Bald Eagles saw ESU fight back with a 15-9 surge that cut the deficit to 66-60 at the 3:53 mark. That was as close as the Warriors would come, as LHU scored 10 of the final 17 points to seal the 76-67 victory.

Up Next

• The Warriors continue their road swing at Shippensburg on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. in Heiges Field House.