KUTZTOWN, PA. (January 3, 2010) – The Kutztown University men's basketball team made its first 10 shots and rolled to a 98-72 victory over Clarion University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover contest Sunday afternoon at Keystone Arena.
In winning its 22nd consecutive home game, the seventh-ranked Golden Bears (9-0 overall) shot a season-high 64.3 percent from the field and had nine players reach the scoring column. Kutztown, which entered the game leading the PSAC in field goal percentage, also scored a season-high point total.
Junior center Ryan Washington capped a tremendous week with his second consecutive 31-point performance. Washington was splendid in making 13-of-14 baskets to tie his career-high point total. In three KU victories this week, Washington averaged 30 points, 10.3 rebounds and shot 75 percent (36-for-48).
Washington had plenty of assistance as junior guard Julius Gray exploded for 22 points to tie his career and season high. Gray drained five 3-pointers and handed out a career best eight assists. Gray also tied his career best with five rebounds. Junior forward Tamir Johnson scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Johnson was 5-for-7 from the field.
Senior guard Stephen Dennis scored 12 points and handed out six assists. Sophomore forward Ryan White also tied for team-high honors with eight rebounds.
Lloyd Harrison led four Clarion players in double digits with 23 points. Also reaching double digits for the Golden Eagles (7-4) were Jamar Harrison (13), Sharmel Carty (10) and Paul McQueen (10).
Washington was too much to handle for the Golden Eagles. He scored 16 of Kutztown's first 27 points in the opening eight minutes. More amazing is Dennis, the nation's second leading scorer, played just nine minutes in the first half and only scored four points. He exited the game with 10 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the first half with Kutztown leading, 30-21.
Two minutes later with Kutztown ahead, 34-23, Washington went to the bench with his second foul. It didn't matter as Kutztown expanded its advantage to 55-36 at intermission with its two leading scorers on the bench with two fouls.
While Dennis and Washington were on the bench, Gray electrified the Keystone Arena crowd with an impressive Larry Bird-like shooting display. Gray made three 3-pointers and scored 12 points over the final 5:31 of the first half.
Kutztown opened the second half by making six of its first eight baskets. Washington scored a basket 10 seconds into the Golden Bears that expanded KU's bulge to 57-36. Clarion got the deficit under 20 points once in the second half.
Kutztown returns to action Tuesday night when it visits Goldey Beacom College in a game starting at 7 p.m. The Golden Bears will play five of their next six games on the road.
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