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Game stories
Morning Call: ESU routs Millersville, reaches PSAC semis
Pocono Record: ESU headed back to PSAC Final 4

EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior forward Lamont Tillery scored 16 points, junior guard Jamal Nwaniemeka had 15 and East Stroudsburg University's first team All-PSAC East backcourt of seniors Matt Tobin and Whis Grant combined for 19 points and 16 assists, leading ESU to its sixth straight PSAC Final Four with a 79-62 win over Millersville on Wednesday night at Koehler Fieldhouse.

ESU (19-9) advances to face IUP (25-5) in the PSAC semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Gannon University in Erie. Gannon (21-8) hosts Kutztown (19-11) in the second semifinal at 3:30 p.m.

ESU, the defending PSAC champion, has won two of the last three conference titles (2012, 2014). IUP has won three of the last five (2010, 2011 and 2013) entering Saturday's semifinal.

Sophomore forward Rasheed Moore scored 13 points, Grant had 12 points and seven assists and Tobin had seven points, nine assists and four steals for the Warriors.

Tobin, named PSAC East Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, and Grant, the 2013 PSAC East Athlete of the Year, were the first teammates to win the award as current members of their program. Grant was named to the All-PSAC East first team for the third straight year on Wednesday.

Jalen Lester scored 18 points, Eddie Callender had 17 and Tavon Parker added 11 for Millersville (16-14).

ESU's six straight PSAC Final Four appearance match California (1992-97) for the most in the PSAC since the conference adopted a semifinal format in 1981.

ESU head coach Jeff Wilson, in his 13th season, is the first head coach to take his school to six straight PSAC Final Four's.

ESU and Millersville split their first two meetings this year, with ESU winning 78-66 at Koehler on November 22 and Millersville posting a 61-58 win on January 31. The Marauders had a 39-30 rebound margin in that game, including 22 points and 18 rebounds from transfer center Anthony Moe.

ESU turned that deficit into a 36-25 advantage in their quarterfinal contest, limiting Moe to two points (coming with 1:08 left) and eight rebounds. Millersville had two second-chance points after posting 16 in January.

The Warriors broke open Wednesday night's game with a 25-2 run midway through the first half. Millersville was 4-for-5 to start, leading 9-7 just over 2:30 into the contest, before ESU held the Marauders to two points in the next 12 minutes while building a 32-11 lead with 4:55 left in the period.

The stretch included a 17-0 run that spanned almost eight minutes. Millersville was 1-for-13 with five turnovers over the entire 25-2 run, and 0-for-7 with four turnovers in the decisive 17-0 spurt.

ESU led 41-26 at halftime and maintained at least a 13-point lead the rest of the way. The margin was 26 (70-44) with just over seven minutes remaining.

The Warriors made 12 three-pointers overall, seven in the first half, with Tillery going 4-for-5, Nwaniemeka shooting 3-for-6 and redshirt senior guards Will Brown and Muhamadou Kaba making two each.

Tillery (16 points, 5 rebounds) and Kaba (6 points, 8 rebounds) combined for 22 points and 13 boards from the "four" spot, while Tobin and Grant produced 19 points and 16 assists in the backcourt.

Tillery's 16 points were a postseason career-high.

In all, ESU's four-year seniors - Grant, Kaba, Tillery and Tobin - had 41 points, 17 rebounds, 16 assists and seven steals.

The group improved to 50-11 in their careers at Koehler Fieldhouse as they completed their home action on campus.

ESU's semifinal match-up with IUP will feature the PSAC Athletes of the Year in Tobin from the eastern division and IUP point guard Devante Chance from the PSAC West. IUP beat ESU, 78-63, at Koehler Fieldhouse on January 3 in their only meeting this season.


GAME NOTES
* ESU played its 14th postseason game in the last 4 years, improving to 10-4.
* The Warriors improved to 8-1 in PSAC Tournament games in the last 4 years, including 5-0 at Koehler Fieldhouse.
* ESU improved to 7-1 in home postseason games at Koehler in the last 4 years, including last year's NCAA DII Atlantic Regional (went 2-1 - reached regional final).

* ESU will attempt to join IUP (2010-11, 13) as the only schools to win 3 PSAC titles in 4 years since Cheyney won 7 of 8, including 5 straight, from 1976-83.

* This season, ESU became the first PSAC East school to win 3 straight divisional titles since 1985-87 (Millersville), and the first to win 3 straight outright divisional titles since 1976-80 (Cheyney).

* Tobin moved into 10th in PSAC history with 541 career assists. He is one of 11 PSAC players with 1,000 career points (1,040) and 500 assists.
* Tobin is the first starting point guard to win 3 straight outright PSAC divisional titles in at least 35 years.

* Grant is the 2nd PSAC player in 35 years to be named 1st team All-PSAC 3 times while advancing to 4 straight PSAC Final 4's.
* Grant has scored 247 points in 14 career postseason games (17.6 ppg), leading ESU in scoring 7 times.
* Grant ranks 2nd at ESU in career points (1,850) and moved into 5th in assists (347). He also moved into 7th in PSAC history in career 3's (267).

* Grant, Tobin and Tillery all share the school record with 14 career postseason games (PSAC and NCAA Tournaments).

* ESU is 91-30 in the last 4 years, a school record for wins by a 4-year class and wins in a 4-year stretch.
* ESU is pursuing its 5th NCAA DII Tournament appearance in 6 years. The Warriors likely must gain the PSAC's automatic bid awarded to the tournament champion to advance.

* ESU and IUP will meet in the postseason for the 4th time in the last 6 years:
2013 - NCAA 1st round (IUP W 76-68)
2011 - PSAC semifinals (IUP W 81-72)
2010 - PSAC semifinals (IUP W 67-63)

* Consecutive PSAC Final 4's since 1981
6 - ESU, 2010-15
California, 1992-97
5 - Bloomsburg, 1998-02
4 - IUP, 2010-13
Edinboro, 2005-08
West Chester, 1998-01
IUP, 1993-96
Lock Haven, 1987-90
Bloomsburg, 1981-84

* Consecutive PSAC Final 4's, head coaches
6 - Jeff Wilson, ESU (2010-15)
5 - Charlie Chronister, Bloomsburg (1998-02)
Jim Boone, California (1992-96)