PHILADELPHIA – Trailing 45-60 just over eight minutes to play, the HFU men's basketball team made a push to within two possessions in an eventual 66-75 loss to East Stroudsburg on Sunday inside of the Campus Center. 
 
The 15-point deficit was one shy of a game-high, but five straight Tairi Ketner (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) points sparked nine unanswered that got the Tigers as close as six, 54-60, for the first time in the second half on two CJ Mundell (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) free throws with 5:34 to go.
 
The Warriors immediately answered with a 3-pointer though, and HFU was not able to get within two possession again until the final 26 points seconds. 
 
Individual Highlights

• Ketner tied a game-high with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added eight rebounds
• Mundell led all players with nine boards and six assists, both season-bests, to go along with nine points
• Ryan Holmes (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter School) and Jason Shields (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) each had 11 points, with Holmes adding four rebounds, four assists and a game-high three steals
• Omarion Jett (Montclair, N.J./Saint Benedict's Prep) contributed five assists

 
Inside the Box Score

• Holy Family had a higher shooting percentage than ESU, 42.9-35.8, but the Warriors took 11 more shots as they won the rebounding battle 45-34
• East Stroudsburg also made eight more free throws, 14-22, despite registering just three more attempts, 24-27

 
How it Happened

• East Stroudsburg led throughout as it scored the first five and 10 of the first 13 points
• Holy Family got as close as three as twice, including when a Jett basket 7:51 in made it 11-14, but the Warriors responded with the next eight points for the first double-digit advantage
• This time the Tigers fought to within 20-24 on a Mundell layup with 6:24 left in the half, but ESU had the answer with a 1-7 surge for yet another double-digit cushion
• The Warriors then recorded the final four points first half and the first basket of the second for the game-high 28-44 lead
• Holy Family began to pull back momentum with eight consecutive points, but the Tigers could not get make it a two-possession game until the 5:34 mark

 
Up Next
HFU is back at home next Saturday to host Jefferson for its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opener at 3 p.m.