RELEASE DATE: 2/23/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIES WIN PSAC EAST TITLE WITH 77-67 WIN AT EAST STROUDSBURG – FIRST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1997

EAST STROUDSBURG – Carlos Collazo scored a game high 24 points to lead Mansfield University to their first PSAC East Championship since 1997 with a 77-67 win over East Stroudsburg at Koehler Fieldhouse Wednesday night.

“This is a great moment for this team and for Mansfield University,” said an elated head coach Vince Alexander. “This team has been so unselfish all season and they played that way again tonight. They wanted this championship and knew they deserved this championship and refused to let anyone take it away from them.”

The Mountaineers clinched their first PSAC East title since 1997 with the win after Kutztown stunned Millersville 73-56. Mansfield has won 9 of their last 10 games after a 7-9 start. West Chester finished its regular season in second place in the PSAC East with a 8-4 mark with a 78-60 win over Bloomsburg. Millersville, which has one regular season game left with Bloomsburg, will finish third in the seedings no matter what the result of their final game.

After trailing 8-4 to start the game, the Mountaineers pulled steadily ahead building as much as a 37-24 lead before settling for 37-27 advantage at intermission behind Collazo, who hit 7-8 from the field in scoring 15 half points.

East Stroudsburg cut the lead to 49-43 seven minutes into the second half before Mansfield went on a 10-1 run over the next three minutes taking a 59-44 on a jumper by David Hoopes with 8:52 to play.

East Stroudsburg never threatened after that with Mansfield holding a double digit lead until ESU cut it to nine points with: 18 left.

As has been the story all season the Mountaineers got balanced scoring with Brandon DeShields joining Collazo in double figures with 14 points. He also added a team high eight rebounds and six assists with three steals. Brian Bryant and Jeremy Frey each added nine points. Collazo hit 11-of-14 shots from the field with six rebounds and four assists.

Danny Hargrove topped East Stroudsburg with 17 points.

Mansfield, which has one regular season game remaining this Saturday when they host Cheyney, is 9-2 in PSAC East play and 16-10 overall. The will host the winner of Saturday’s East Stroudsburg – Kutztown game in the opening round of the PSAC playoff at Decker Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

Newspaper Box Score

Mansfield University vs East Stroudsburg

02/23/05 8:15 p.m. at E. Stroudsburg, Pa. - Koehler Fieldhouse

At E. Stroudsburg, Pa. - Koehler Fieldhouse

MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY 77, EAST STROUDSBURG 67

MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY (16-10/9-2 PSAC E)

COLLAZO, Carlos 11-14 1-3 24; DESHIELDS, Brandon 4-8 5-7 14; FREY, Jeremy

3-6 3-3 9; BRYANT, Brian 3-8 2-2 9; HOOPES, David 3-11 0-0 7; WILLIAMS,

Terrance 3-4 1-2 7; KRESS, Justin 2-5 0-0 4; ANDERSON, Ian 1-1 1-1 3;

BENSON, Jason 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-59 13-18 77.

EAST STROUDSBURG (12-14/5-6 PSAC E)

HARGROVE, Danny 7-17 2-2 17; ROSS, Anthony 5-11 2-2 15; SWEET, Ryan 4-9 6-10

14; GEORGES, Rob 3-8 2-6 8; WENTZ, Josh 3-5 1-2 7; WILLIAMS, Sky 1-5 1-2 3;

MOHIUDDIN, Naveen 1-1 0-0 3; WIMMER, Andy 0-3 0-0 0; ENGLISH, Murvin 0-1 0-0

0; EVANS, Jimmy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-61 14-24 67.

Mansfield University..........   37   40  -   77

East Stroudsburg..............   27   40  -   67

3-point goals-Mansfield University 4-15 (HOOPES, David 1-5; BRYANT, Brian

1-3; COLLAZO, Carlos 1-2; DESHIELDS, Brandon 1-3; BENSON, Jason 0-1;

WILLIAMS, Terrance 0-1), East Stroudsburg 5-22 (ROSS, Anthony 3-7;

MOHIUDDIN, Naveen 1-1; HARGROVE, Danny 1-6; WENTZ, Josh 0-1; WILLIAMS, Sky

0-3; WIMMER, Andy 0-2; ENGLISH, Murvin 0-1; EVANS, Jimmy 0-1). Fouled

out--Mansfield University-None, East Stroudsburg-GEORGES, Rob; HARGROVE,

Danny. Rebounds-Mansfield University 39 (DESHIELDS, Brandon 8), East

Stroudsburg 36 (GEORGES, Rob 10). Assists-Mansfield University 16

(DESHIELDS, Brandon 6), East Stroudsburg 11 (WILLIAMS, Sky 7). Total

fouls-Mansfield University 21, East Stroudsburg 21. A-890