KUTZTOWN, PA. (November 30, 2009) – The Kutztown University men's basketball team won its 17th consecutive home game as it defeated Penn State-Berks, 96-51 at Keystone Arena in a non-conference contest Monday night. (BOXSCORE)
The Golden Bears, ranked 13th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Top 25 poll, improved their overall record to 2-0. Meanwhile, Penn State-Berks fell to 0-6. Kutztown has scored at least 95 points in its first two games.
Junior guard Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area High School) (Lincoln University/Oxford) set a career-high scoring performance for the second consecutive contest with 22 points. In three games this season, including an exhibition against Villanova, Gray has scored over 20 points.
In addition to Gray, Division II Player of the Year candidate and senior guard Stephen Dennis (West Chester, PA/Henderson) (West Chester/Henderson) and junior forward Ryan Washington (Philadelphia, PA/Wissahickon) (Philadelphia/Wissahickon) finished with 22 points each. Dennis also finished with six assists.
Junior guard Steve Coffey (Reading, PA/Wilson) (Reading/Wilson) handed out a career-best eight assists to go along with seven rebounds and six points in 20 entertaining minutes. Junior Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) (Philadelphia/Imhotep Charter) finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
Adam Fusco and Kemain Flowers each scored 11 points to lead PSU-Berks.
Fusco gave PSU-Berks a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game before the Golden Bears found their groove. Gray gave Kutztown a lead it would not relinquish, 9-7, with 16:23 remaining in the first half. The Golden Bears gained control of the contest in the final eight minutes of the opening half.
Kutztown held a 31-22 lead with 8:04 remaining before finishing the half with a flourish. The Golden Bears outscored the Lions, 22-8, to take a 53-30 halftime lead. Washington scored eight points during the run that was highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers from Gray and Dennis and a pair of rim-rattling dunks by Washington and Johnson.
Kutztown returns to action Wednesday night when it travels to Chestnut Hill College for a 7 p.m. start. The Golden Bears will play three of their next four games on the road.
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