KUTZTOWN, PA (January 5, 2010) – The Kutztown University women's basketball team will take its balanced scoring and perfect road record across the state for a pair Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover basketball games at Edinboro and Lock Haven on Saturday and Sunday January 9 & 10. Both games begin at 1 p.m.
Of course, if recent history is any indication then the Golden Bears (8-3 overall) may want to consider finding alternative sites to face Edinboro (6-4) and Lock Haven (3-5). Both places have provided the Golden Bears with more nightmares than a Freddy Krueger horror flick over the years. Kutztown has not defeated Edinboro since 1991 and it has lost three consecutive games at Lock Haven's Thomas Fieldhouse.
That doesn't matter to this current group of Golden Bears. They are 4-0 on the road. Kutztown has not trailed in the second half of any of its road games this season. Three of KU's four road wins have been by double digits. Kutztown is averaging 71.8 points per game away from home.
Kutztown features one of the most experienced rosters in the conference. The Golden Bears have three senior starters: guard Vivian Melvin, center Chauntelle Schroeder, and guard Rachel Wisemiller to go along with battle-tested junior forward Melissa McQuade and junior point guard Meredith Starr. That quintet has started every game this season.
McQuade leads three Golden Bears in double digits with a 14.3 point per game average. Wisemiller averages 11.2 points per game and Melvin, with four straight double-digit scoring performances entering this weekend, is averaging 10.3 points per game. Starr is contributing 9.2 points per outing. Schroeder rounds out the balanced five by averaging 8.3 points.
“Melissa is just an all around player who finds many ways to help our team be successful,” Kutztown head women's basketball coach Janet Malouf said. “She scores, rebounds, assists and is always a threat for an opponent. Because she is the leading scorer and rebounder from last year she gets a lot of attention and that has helped open up things for other players on our team.”
Resembling a five-tool pocketknife, McQuade has scored in double figures in 15 consecutive games. Reaping the benefits of the increased attention paid to McQuade by opposing defenders have been Wisemiller and Melvin. They have been human ATM machines, delivering clutch baskets and making big plays whenever needed.
Starr has done a great job of organizing the offense and leading the defense. Schroeder has shown flashes of brilliance and dominance in the post. Wisemiller is tied for the PSAC lead in blocked shots (1.7). She also leads the Golden Bears with 28 3-pointers.
“Melissa can score from the perimeter and a post player will have to play her which allows Vivian to drive to the basket and create plays,” Malouf said. “Meredith is just starting to hit her stride with shooting the ball. Their scoring adds another dimension to Melissa and Rachel. Also having someone like Chauntelle, who works extremely hard in the post to keep attention on her as well make us pretty balanced. Any of our starters can erupt for a big game.”
That has been evidenced in the scoring. Six different players have led the Golden Bears in scoring following a game this season. Kutztown has not had a player score 20 or more points in a game this season.
The only speed bumps this season have been three home setbacks to nationally-ranked teams: No. 25 Holy Family (77-63), No. 10 California (80-76) and No. 6 Gannon (86-68). All three games were competitive and the Golden Bears should be better for the experiences once conference play kicks off on Jan. 13 against East Stroudsburg.
“Our overall performance has been fairly consistent,” Malouf said. “We have been shooting pretty well as a team and taking care of the ball. We still have to get more help from our bench on a consistent basis.”
Junior Kristen Murray, freshman Ashley Wood, sophomore Brittany Greaves. The triumvirate have all produced memorable moments during the season off the bench and played crucial roles. Murray scored in double figures in Kutztown's first five games. Wood scored a career-high 16 points and handed out a career best five assists in Sunday's 88-77 victory over Clarion. Greaves contributed a season-high 12 points in a victory over Chestnut Hill.
Kutztown will have its hands full against Edinboro and Lock Haven.
Edinboro, 3-0 at home, will be playing its first home game since Nov. 24. The Fighting Scots split a pair of games beating Mansfield, 90-48, and losing to Bloomsburg, 77-72, on the road in PSAC crossover contests last weekend. Edinboro has scored 90 or more points in six of its 10 games this season. The Fighting Scots had their 13-game winning streak against PSAC East opponents snapped by Bloomsburg. They lead the PSAC in scoring offense, averaging 86.9 points per game.
Edinboro has four players averaging double-digits highlighted by Samantha Reimer, who leads in the PSAC in assists (6.3) and is second in scoring (21.0 ppg). Meanwhile, Kelsey Conklin is sixth in the PSAC in scoring (16.9 points per game). Renee Brown and Samantha Blazetic average 10.7 and 10.5 points respectively.
Lock Haven has been paced by Kristen Kudrick, who is the only Lady Eagle player averaging double figures at 12.7 points. Peaches Nesmith (9.0 points per game) and Casi Donelan (8.4 ppg) have been consistent scorers.
“I have been fortunate to have a great group of kids that are not only good basketball players, but quality people,” Malouf said. “They have fun, but work hard. It has been a great experience seeing them grow and mature as people and basketball players. The five starters have all improved by leaps and bounds since they were freshmen. I am happy and thrilled for them to be having a great year. I hope that I can continue to do as good a job coaching as they are playing so that they can look back on their career and time at KU and have special memories they can share.”
--KU--
