EAST STROUDSBURG — When the team needed it most, East Stroudsburg women's basketball turned up the defense to defeat St. Thomas Aquinas 62-53 in a pre-Thanksgiving home contest.
The Warriors had a slim lead over the Spartans heading into halftime, but the third quarter helped them gain separation, holding the Spartans to only two made field goals (20%) in the frame to stretch the lead out to 10 points. After that, ESU kept St. Thomas Aquinas at arm's length the rest of the way for the victory.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We were able to withstand some scoring droughts and rely on our defense. It was really great to see that from the team," head coach Liz Flooks said.
It was a team effort for East Stroudsburg, who used an intense halfcourt defense to force 23 total turnovers, including 7 in the third quarter (ESU also forced 7 in the second quarter). An underrated part of that defense was freshman Emma Thornton, who used every bit of her 5-foot-11 frame to anchor the backline of the ESU defense.
"I just try to box out, get rebounds and be sound on the defensive end," Thornton said.
East Stroudsburg University women's basketball huddles up during a timeout against St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 25, 2025.Thornton's defensive effort was only outmatched by her offensive output, being East Stroudsburg's second-leading scorer with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. Most were putbacks on offensive rebounds, but she also showed some shooting touch, knocking down two short-corner jumpers in the fourth quarter to help East Stroudsburg maintain the lead.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It was great to see that," Flooks said about Thornton's performance. "It's everything we thought she could do and could handle. I wanted to make sure we gave her that ability, so we gave her the green light."
Thornton was only outdone in scoring by senior point guard Avery White, who tied a game-high with 17 points to go with five rebounds and three made 3-pointers.
White did a good job running the offense that's still in development, but it was her outside shooting that kept the defense off balance and opened up shots for her and her teammates.
"I think we have all the pieces. When we put them together, we're a great team," White said. "I think it's just about everyone play to their strengths. If we do that, we can beat anyone."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen asked about how much of a "green light" White has from deep, Flooks smiled wide and said "as wide as one can give it to her." But even when White isn't making shots, her gravity complements the mid-range preferences of Brooke Droege, Lacey Kringe and others to excel where they are most comfortable..
East Stroudsburg University women's basketball head coach Liz Flooks shows passion during the game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 25, 2025.East Stroudsburg also has another confident lead guard who isn't afraid to be aggressive: freshman guard Jess Devine, a Middlesex, N.J. native who finished with 7 points and tied a team-high with 5 assists.
The confidence she plays with is beyond her age, and it showed in a lot of positive ways for the Warriors against St. Thomas Aquinas. Devine was even in the closing lineup for ESU, finishing the last 5:20 on the court to help seal the victory.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Jess is a baller," Flooks said. "She knows how to put the ball in the basket. She knows how to win. She comes from a winning program. She knows what needs to happen down the stretch, and she's shown that from Day 1."
With the win, East Stroudsburg women's basketball improves to 4-1, including back-to-back wins after the first loss against Jefferson.The Warriors have responded well as conference play starts Dec. 6 against Seton Hill.
"We're a very resilient team," White said. "We come into practice. We want to get better. We don't let the loss get us down; we see it as an opportunity to evolve and get better to work towards a win."
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: ESU WBB uses defense to pull away from St. Thomas Aquinas
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