Mounties Close Out 2017 Season with 86-81 Win Over East Stroudsburg Behind Carter's Game-High 25 Points

MANSFIELD – Malik Carter and Matt Tamanosky combined for 46 points to lead Mansfield to an 86-81 win over East Stroudsburg in a season-ending PSAC East contest Saturday afternoon on First Citizens Community Bank Court in Decker Gymnasium.

The contest also marked Senior Day with senior Da'Quan Jones honored during pregame ceremonies.

Mansfield led the game from start to finish, jumping out to an 11-0 run on a Tamanosky layup four minutes into the game.

The Mountaineers extended their lead to 15-3 on a 3-pointer my Jones a minute later and would go up 22-5 midway through the first half on a jumper by Cedrick Powell.

Mansfield, which shot 62.5% from the floor in the first half, held a 45-26 advantage at halftime with Tamanosky, Carter and Jones all reaching double-figures after the first 20 minutes of play.

Mansfield continued to lead by double-figures for much of the second half, leading 60-48 on a layup by Kipras Pumputis midway through the hafl, before East Stroudsburg went on a 15-4 run to close the gap to just two points at 67-65 with just under five minutes to play.

A Carter layup with just under two minutes remaining put Mansfield up 78-71 but a pair of ESU 3-pointer put it back to a two-point game at 81-79 with 36 second to go. A pair of free throw by Jones put Mansfield back in front by four points before East Stroudsburg made it a two-point game again on pair of free throws by Rasheed Moore with 17 second on the clock.

Jones hit another pair of free throws and Reilly Collins pulled down a critical rebound and then hit a free throw with six seconds remaining to seal the win.

The Mountaineers hit on a season-best 61.5% of their shots from the floor led by Tamanosky who connected on 10-of-11 field goals in the game.

Carter scored a game-high 25 points and recorded four steals while Tamanosky had 21 points along with five assists. Jones scored 17 points, 10 of them in the first half, in the final game of his career while Powell added 10 points with a game-high six assists. Jahyde Gardiner scored eight points along with a season-best six blocked shots.

Moore scored 21 points to lead four Warriors in double-figures with Ryan Krawczeniuk adding 18 points.