EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Millersville cut a 27-point first-half deficit down to five with a minute to play but could get no closer to the homestanding East Stroudsburg Warriors in Saturday's 74-66 loss. The Marauders' comeback was cut short when they missed their final four 3-pointer attempts. 

Millersville (12-11, 9-8 PSAC) won the first meeting of the season between the teams by shooting 60 percent from the field in Pucillo Gymnasium. It was a far different story inside Koehler Fieldhouse Saturday as Millersville shot 28 percent from the field and 1-for-9 from three with 10 turnovers in the first half while East Stroudsburg (14-8, 10-7 PSAC) built a 45-25 lead at the break behind 13 points and 5-of-5 shooting from Justin Paz.

Millersville out-scored the Warriors 41-29 in the second half, cut the turnovers down to four and limited the home team to 33.3 percent shooting. Caden Najdawi scored 12 of his 14 in the second half. 

East Stroudsburg broke the tie for second place in the PSAC East standings with the win, moving a game ahead of the Marauders. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
• It took Millersville nearly four minutes to get on the board and played nearly another two minutes before scoring its second bucket of the game. Still, the Marauders trailed by just six with 11:30 left in the first half. Kitt Najee Walls hit a jumper with 8:17 to go, sparking a 21-4 run for East Stroudsburg over the next seven minutes. By the time James Sullivan made two free throws with 1:10 to play, Millersville trailed by 27. In the last 6:47 of the half, Millersville committed seven turnovers and made only two field goals.
• Millersville's second-half comeback was slow and steady. The Marauders cut the deficit to eight points (64-56) with 6:20 to go but it wasn't until there was 1:48 left that they got any closer. Mekhi Hendricks hit a step-back 3-pointer to pull Millersville within six. Najdawi made two free throws to make the score 71-66 with 1:41 to play. 
• Sullivan recorded steals on each of the next two possessions but Millersville missed 3-pointers at the other end. One made free throw from Najee Walls with 41 seconds left gave ESU a six-point lead. Looking to cut the deficit to a one-possession game, Millersville missed its third-straight 3-pointer attempt, and Najee Walls iced the game at the free throw line. 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
• Sullivan led the Marauders with 15 points and seven rebounds. Najdawi added 14 points and seven rebounds while also sinking all four of his free throw attempts. Hendricks added 13 points and six rebounds, and Justin Nwosu scored 12 on 5-of-11 shooting. 
• Millersville shot 39.3 percent from the field--its lowest shooting percentage since Dec. 3. Millersville also shot a season-low 5-of-22 (.227) from three. 
• After scoring at least 83 points in each game of its four-game winning streak, Millersville has lost two in a row scoring 68 and 66 points.  

POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH CASEY STITZEL
• On the halftime discussion: "Sometimes, especially on the road, we get away from what we do that makes us successful. We allowed (East Stroudsburg) to speed us up. This was the second time we played them and that can't be the case just because we are on the road. That didn't happen at home. In the second half that team (that won at home) showed up. We just couldn't get the threes we needed. You can't have a nightmare first half. You could be down eight, 10 points and comeback. You can't dig a hole like that."
• On bouncing back for Wednesday's game against Shippensburg: "It's a process. We just have to keep plugging away. There are five games to go and we are right in the mix. We have to keep fighting and learning from mistakes. Each loss is an opportunity to grow. The culture is strong. We didn't bring it for a game and a half in these last two road games and now to get what we want, to get into the playoffs and get a home game, we have to play better on the road from the start. They'll bounce back and we'll get Shippensburg's best game on Wednesday."

NOTES 
• Millersville's last win at East Stroudsburg was in 2009. Saturday's loss was the 13th in a row at Koehler Fieldhouse. 
• Millersville is now 3-9 on the road this season. 

UP NEXT 
• Millersville returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 12 to host PSAC East-leading Shippensburg for a 7:30 p.m. tip. Millersville students will be treated to a free rally towel and Moe's burritos from 6:30 p.m., until supplies run out.