Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team lost, 63-55, at #2 East Stroudsburg Saturday afternoon. The Lakers led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Semifinal at halftime before the Warriors prevailed at Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
Mercyhurst played a stellar first half, but ESU took control in the second frame, going ahead, 49-41, with 7:57 left. The Lakers had one final push in them, though. Jean Onana hit a jumper and then James Ewing grabbed a rebound. He followed with a putback of a Sein Beins shot to trim the deficit to four. Beins pulled down a board and eventually scored inside on the next Laker possession. H'ian Hale then tied the game with a steal and layup with 5:21 to play.
 
Whis Grant answered with a three-pointer for the hosts. Ewing converted a lay-in before two Grant free throws. Hale assisted on another Ewing hoop to keep it a one-point difference with 3:42 showing on the clock. East Stroudsburg responded with a three. Onana sank a pair of foul shots with 2:07 left, making it 57-55. Matt Tobin sealed the decision with a layup and four free throws.
 
In the first half, Callon Dailey came out firing, hitting a jumper 15 seconds in. ESU scored the next four points, but Anthony Lytle followed with a pair of layups. Dailey scored inside for an 8-4 advantage. Onana sank a jump shot with 16:03 remaining, and after an ESU bucket, Dailey drained a three-pointer from the top of the key, giving the Lakers a 13-6 lead with 15:41 to play in the half.
 
Ewing made a layup, but the Warriors got going a bit, with Jamal Nwaniemeka converting a four-point play to pull within two points. Beins responded with a layup and then Onana hit a jumper. Jonathan Ouegnin then found Andy Hoying for a three-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer, putting Mercyhurst up, 22-13, with 7:07 showing on the clock.
 
ESU finished a three-point play, but Ewing made a lay-in on the other end. Baskets by Beins and Bilbo made it 28-20 as time wound down in the first. Grant hit a three-pointer, but Ouegnin made a nice move to set up a baseline jumper and followed with a trey to put the Lakers up, 33-23, with 44 seconds left. ESU made a three-point play to send the team into halftime with Mercyhurst ahead, 33-25.
 
The Warriors closed the gap quickly in the second half, but the Lakers tried to keep them at bay. Layups by Bilbo and Lytle allowed Mercyhurst to maintain a 37-35 edge with 15:33 to go. ESU scored the next seven points to go ahead, but buckets by Dailey and Onana made it a 42-41 difference before another Warrior spurt set up the end game.
 
Onana and Ewing each scored 10 points. Dailey recorded nine, while Beins and Lytle each added six points. Onana collected a career-high eight rebounds. Ouegnin totaled five points and six boards. Grant paced ESU with 16 points on 5-17 shooting.
 
The Lakers shot 49 percent (25-51) from the field and held ESU to 32.7 percent (18-55) accuracy. Mercyhurst's bench outscored the Warriors', 21-13.
 
Coach Gary Manchel's squad finished the season 17-12, marking the Lakers' ninth straight winning season. The Lakers advanced to the PSAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive year and made their second semifinal appearance in the last three seasons.