MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University women's basketball team fell to visiting East Stroudsburg University, 61-47 in PSAC East action on Wednesday night, Feb. 19 inside Decker Gymnasium.
 
Junior Paige Whitfield led the Mounties with 13 points and four rebounds while knocking down two 3-pointers. Freshman Jasmine Hilton poured in six points with eight rebounds and junior Kira Merritt added nine points.
 
Trailing by 10 entering the final period of action, the Mounties (3-23, 1-19 PSAC) nearly matched East Stroudsburg's (17-5, 13-5 PSAC) production in the fourth (15-13) but could not overcome the deficit. The Mountaineers' bench outscored the Warriors' 13-5, but ESU shot 41 percent from the field while holding Mansfield to 33 percent and winning the battle at the line, 10-5.
 
In the first, the Warriors jumped out to an early 8-2 lead through the opening five minutes, with the lone Mountie bucket coming from Hilton. However, a 3-point play the old fashion way by Merritt ignited a 7-2 Mountie run to trim the deficit to 10-9 with three minutes to go. Whitfield netted a contested layup at the 2:45 mark to give the Mounties their first lead, 11-10. ESU closed out the quarter on a 7-3 run to head into the second ahead by five.
 
The second quarter mirrored the first with each school trading baskets through the opening four minutes. Freshman Bella Skatell scored her first five points of the game and Whitfield drilled a three and made a layup and the Mounties took a 27-26 lead with 3:26 remaining. The Mounties improved from 36 percent (5-of-14) to 50 percent in the second (7-of-14). ESU took a 30-29 lead into the break.
 
A slow start to the third allowed ESU to extend their lead to 37-31 midway through the quarter. The Warriors shot 46 percent compared to Mansfield's 17 percent. A three by Merritt out of the media timeout cut the deficit to three, but the Warriors responded with seven straight closing out the period to lead, 44-34. 
 
Tiffany Lapotsky led East Stroudsburg with a game-high 25 points.
 
The Mounties return to Decker Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. when PSAC foe Kutztown University comes to town.