EAST STROUDSBURG — Georgian Court took and early 2-0 lead over East Stroudsburg University men's basketball. ESU responded with consecutive layups to take a 4-2 lead, and the lead would not change again for the rest of the night as the Warriors deliver a 106-84 thumping to the Lions in early season play.
The Warriors (4-0) looked like a well-oiled machine in its last game before Thanksgiving, but the team's performance was in spite of some key pieces not being available Tuesday night, or in previous games.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Davon Lee is out, Saleem Payne is out, so we're down two point guards," Wilson said after the game. "Christian Pierre-Louis did a great job tonight stepping into that role. I think he had two days of practice at the point guard spot, so I think he did a good job all things considered."
Injury bug aside, Wilson believes this team is "still growing a lot," citing the newcomers to the roster that are still mastering ESU's style of play. But part of the early success has been senior forward Kevin Coleman, who transferred to ESU from Lock Haven.
The 6-foot-9 big man had a team-high 19 points and 8 rebounds in the win, while also being active on the interior and on defense (2 blocks and 2 steals). Wilson was familiar with Coleman as he was a big part in Lock Haven beating East Stroudsburg twice last season, now he's moved from one PSAC East school to another.
East Stroudsburg University's Kevin Coleman (2) talks to Jalen Pichard (1) during game against Georgian Court on Nov. 25, 2025"My coaches instill a lot of confidence in me, so I just go out there and play confidently," Coleman said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementColeman displayed an effective post game against Georgian Court, something Wilson preaches throughout the season and spends extra time on when possible. It was something Coleman didn't do a lot of prior to joining ESU, so the head coach believes there's more to be unlocked in that area.
"If that is the case, over the next couple of months, he has a lot of room for growth," Wilson said. "I think we'll see a lot of nights like this from Kevin."
East Stroudsburg has never been shy about playing freshmen, and that was also the case as the next two leading scorers for the Warriors are playing their first seasons of college basketball, respectively.
Adrian Brito, the former Pocono Mountain West big man and All-Area Player of the Year, finished the game with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. This is right after having a team-high 18 points and 7 rebounds in a win against Chestnut Hill. It's safe to say he's adjusting well to college basketball.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"He just has a really good feel of how to play. Really good basketball instincts," Wilson said. "He brings a lot of energy, plays with a lot of passion. It's actually fun to watch him play. That's what it should look like."
The other freshman was shifty Philadelphia guard Keni Williams, who added 13 points and 6 assists of his own while consistently breaking down his defender. Williams' role has changed due to injury, from initially being an off-guard, to the backup point guard, but he's found success anyway.
"He's a very talented kid," Wilson said about Williams. "He hasn't started because the second unit is really good together and I want to keep them together, and he's a big part of that. He's the engine of that group.
"Keni does a good job of setting the tempo and setting the table for other guys. He's off to a good start in his young career."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementESU WBB getting it done: East Stroudsburg women's basketball uses defense to defeat STAC
While there was plenty of offense to go around for East Stroudsburg, the real difference came on the defensive end to the point where Georgian Court, couldn't even get the ball inbounded. ESU forced at least four different inbounds violations, where the Lions failed to get the ball inbounded in 5 seconds or less.
Anyone who's played basketball knows inbounds plays can feel like an eternity, but the Warriors made it look effortless.
"At halftime, we talked about how we weren't challenging passes enough. In the second half I thought we did a really good job," Wilson said. "Either Terrell Pitts or Jalen Pichardo were on the ball, delaying the inbounder by half a second, and inbounders weren't secure on throwing it in."
East Stroudsburg University men's basketball coach Jeff Wilson applauds his team against Georgian Court on Nov. 25, 2025.Coleman had similar thought about the team's defensive effort, saying "We played really good defense in the beginning, which carried over into our offense throughout the game."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is the second time in four games East Stroudsburg has scored 100 points or more, something it took 19 games to do last season, and nine games the year before that. While it is more common for ESU to reach this milestone, it is far from common in the college basketball landscape.
It's also easy to lose sight while focusing on the high-scoring outbursts, but Wilson has been aroudn a long time, and he knows how to remain engaged in the process.
"We should have a lot of growth in us, and we just have to see it that way," Wilson said. "Sometimes, as you're going through the process, you don't see the need to continue growing.
"This is a team that should grow. We have good veteran leadership, but we have a lot of key pieces that are new to the program. The more we can gel, and the sooner we gel, that helps our growth."
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: ESU MBB scores over 100 points in win over Georgian Court
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