Elijah Wells
Contributing Writer
The Warriors’ season concluded on March 6 in the Quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament.
They matched up against the two-seed Millersville Marauders and lost 66-74 ending the game shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from the three-point line.
Despite the early playoff exit, the Warriors had a sensational season consisting of many notable moments worthy of consideration. They ended the season accumulating 25 wins and five losses converting an .833 win percentage, and they were able to finish as the third seed in their conference.
“This was a very fun team to coach as the players were very receptive to learning and worked hard to improve daily,” said Warriors coach Jeff Wilson.
For the season, the Warriors scored 2,722 points in total and scored 90.7 points per game with a scoring margin of 15.9. They attempted 1,965 shots in total making 954 of those attempts shooting .485 for the season. They grabbed 1,169 rebounds and converted 517 assists this season.
Lakeem McAliley led the team in scoring this season totaling 518 points and averaged 17.3 points per game. He shot .563 percent from the field and .411 percent from the three-point line while attempting and making the most shots for the Warriors this season.
He scored a game-high 32 points on Dec. 19 against Pitt-Johnstown. McAliley was the main scoring option while shooting efficiently from the field at a reasonable volume. He was also a notable defender as he recorded 22 blocks and 61 steals, proving to be a prolific two-way player for the season.
The Warriors had a phenomenal supporting cast this season consisting of players who provided the team with tons of production. Jaelen McGlone was the second leading scorer for the team scoring 373 points while averaging 12.4 points per game on .525 percent shooting from the field.
He pioneered the Warriors to a win in the first round of the PSAC tournament against the Mansfield Mounties when he led his team in scoring while knocking down 100 percent of his three-point attempts.
Justin Paz led the team in three-point makes and attempts as he recorded 54 three-point makes and 135 attempts from long range. He had the fourth best three-point percentage for his team as he shot .400 percent from distance and averaged 10.1 points per game.
He recorded a game-high six made threes on Feb. 28 against Kutztown. He led his team in assists by far accumulating 116 assists. Paz was a productive playmaker and sharpshooter for the Warriors this season.
Shamir Johnson led the Warriors to a heroic 103-80 victory in the final game of the regular season against the Mansfield Mounties. He tied his personal game high recording 21 points while shooting six for eight from the field and three for five from the three-point line in this game.
Defensively, they allowed 2,244 points from their opponents holding them to only 74.8 points per game. They accumulated 322 steals, 100 blocks, and forced 590 turnovers from their opponents.
Throughout the season, the Warriors game plan involved playing aggressive defense and applying constant pressure on the opposing offense from start to finish of each game preventing opposing players from finding their rhythm.
McAliley recorded the most blocks for his team with 22. Nasir Griffin was a close second converting 20 blocks and Cam Young blocked 15 shots. McGlone led the team in steals with 66 and McAliley recorded 61 steals for the season.
“We had a number of very big wins this season beating transitional powers such as Indiana, Mercyhurst, West Chester, and Millersville. From a win’s perspective, they were the highlight wins,” said Wilson.
The Warriors went up against Mercyhurst University in Dec. 1, escaping that game with a 65-64 victory.
This was a game that came down to the final possession and the Warriors capitalized on every opportunity to win this game. McGlone led the team in scoring with 18 points along with seven rebounds and three assists.
They played against Millersville at home on Jan. 27 when they organized a stellar performance collectively winning this game 98 to 77.
This was a game that consisted of five players scoring double figures with Carson Howard recording a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while shooting six for seven from the field. Paz also recorded nine assists in this game.
“It is always good to see the Student Athletes work together and improve; they worked to improve both individually and as a team daily,” said Wilson. “Those skills will serve them all well beyond the games.”
Upon the conclusion of the season, the East Stroudsburg University Athletics announced Wilson will be inducted into the Lehigh Valley-Pocono Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 11.
Wilson began his coaching tenure with the Warriors in 2002-2003, and he turned this team into a juggernaut. During his tenure, he has a record of 406-202 and has conducted ten 20-plus win seasons.
Wilson has won eight PSAC East regular season titles and three PSAC Championships with the Warriors. He made history in 2013-2014 becoming ESU’s all-time wins leader for the organization.
Although the Warriors fell short in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Quarterfinals, it is necessary to consider the phenomenal year they had collectively.
