MILLERVILLE, Pa. – Survive and advance, that's exactly what the Millersville women's basketball team did on Monday night in Pucillo Gymnasium, defeating the Warriors 72-65. The No. 4 seeded Marauders were in a tight match-up with the No. 5 seeded Warriors as East Stroudsburg held a close lead for much of the first two quarters. With shooting an effective 56.9% from the floor, Millersville rose to the occasion and outlasted the Warriors to claim the PSAC first round victory.

The PSAC Tournament win marks head coach Sharay Hall's first postseason victory in the black and gold, and Millersville's first time in the quarterfinals since the 2017-18 season.

With her second consecutive game scoring over 20 points was Taylor Langan. She tallied 23 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Bria Beverly totaled 10 points going 3-for-6 from the floor and drained all four free throws. The freshman point guard, Marin Miller, led Millersville in rebounding with seven, five of which were defensive.

Jaida Parker's performance was a crucial piece of the puzzle for Millersville off the bench as she notched her new season-high of 12 points from six field goals made. Parker also grabbed five defensive rebounds for Millersville in her 28 minutes of action. "She was the key to our success today," said Hall. "With Brenna Ortwein out for us, Jaida stepped up and was excellent on the court."

HOW IT HAPPENED      

• It was a shoot off in the first quarter for East Stroudsburg and Millersville, the Warriors went 50% from the floor while Millersville shot 10-for-13. East Stroudsburg jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter as the Warriors' Ryan Weise tallied 10 of East Stroudsburg's first 16 points. Trailing six points with 4:10 remaining, the Marauders outscored the Warriors 11-5 in the final minutes to edge a lead over East Stroudsburg. The Warriors hit a jump shot to tie the score 23-23 before the period ended.
• East Stroudsburg jumped back on top to start the second quarter by opening with a 7-0 run. Millersville quickly closed the deficit and a fast break layup from Makiah Shaw evened the score 30-30. Weise drained her fifth three-pointer on the night to give the Warriors a two-point edge, but Millersville ended the second quarter with a 6-0 run to lead 38-34 at the half.
• Working their way into close distance, the Warriors trailed by two points with 7:09 remaining after Weise made two free throws. The Marauders' 64.29% shooting made a difference in the third, outscoring the Warriors 13-4 in the last seven minutes to jump to a 13 point lead.
• Maintaining their third quarter cushion, Parker made two layups to open the fourth and extend Millersville's gap to 15 points. The Warriors worked to get within single digits after Weise drained her seventh three-pointer and put East Stroudsburg down seven points with three minutes remaining. With over two full minutes of scoreless action, the Warriors made a layup to trail by five, but time was running low, and Taylor Langan was sent to the line twice which sealed the deal for Millersville's 72-65 PSAC Tournament win.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE       

• The Marauders shot their best from the floor in the first quarter of 76.92%, 1-for-2 behind the arc, and draining two free throws.
• Millersville held the edge in points in the paint (50-30) and fast break points (18-8).
• East Stroudsburg was held to shooting 33.33% from the floor in the third.
• Miller drained the only three-pointer for Millersville on the night.
• The Warriors forced 16 Millersville turnovers compared to their 12.
• The Marauders outrebounded the Warriors 36-24, 27 of which were defensive. 

UP NEXT     

• The Marauders will travel to West Chester and face the No. 1 seeded Golden Rams in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Mar. 1. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.