EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – To finish off the regular season, the Mansfield men's basketball team faced No. 19 East Stroudsburg University (24-4, 18-4 PSAC East) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action and the nationally ranked Warriors defended their court, winning the regular season finale, 103-80.
Saraj Ali (13) and Idris Ali (12) combined for 25 points on the afternoon. S. Ali also dished out five assists.
Scott Woodring dropped 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Michael Dickson scored the first four points for the Mounties (8-19, 6-16 PSAC East), breaking out to an early 7-4 lead.
Seven unanswered for ESU gave them the first double digit score, holding an 11-7 edge after five minutes of action.
With a 9-1 outburst in the next three minutes, Mansfield held the four-point advantage at 16-12.
The host stopped trailing at 20-19 and did not lose the lead for the rest of the half. Across a 13-3 run, ESU commanded out to a 29-23 advantage.
Behind four points from S. Ali, an 8-2 sprint for the Mounties tied the game up at 31.
In the remaining minutes, the game remained close at a two-point game until the Warriors pushed out nine of the next 12 points, holding the score at 46-38 and rounded out the first half, leading with the first double-digit lead at 52-42.
Mansfield opened the second half with the hot hand, dropping ten of the first 12 points, including a S. Ali dunk that he slammed down so hard, a pause during the game took place to fix the net from the throwdown.
Nationally ranked ESU did not take too kindly to the stoppage and delivered 15 unanswered points across four minutes to storm ahead with a 69-52 lead and the home team never looked back.
Diarmid Stewart scored the next seven points for the Mounties, but it did not make a dent into the host's lead, who now led 78-59.
The Warriors finished out the afternoon on the gas pedal, and picked up the regular season finale victory, 103-80.
UP NEXT:
For the first time since 2012-13, Mansfield will compete in the PSAC Postseason Tournament. On Monday, March 4, the sixth seeded Mounties will return to Koehler Fieldhouse to face third seeded East Stroudsburg for the first round of action with the time to be announced.
