CHEYNEY, PA (February 24, 2010) -- Following its 76-71 loss to Cheyney University at Cope Hall Wednesday, the Kutztown men's basketball season has been to reduced to this unfathomable truth: beat Bloomsburg Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena or else it will not qualify for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division playoffs. (BOXSCORE)
Kutztown (20-6 overall, 7-6 PSAC East) remained a game ahead of Bloomsburg, who lost to Mansfield, 68-64. Bloomsburg (12-13, 6-7) owns the tiebreaker over Kutztown based on its 70-58 victory on Jan. 30. No matter what happens, Kutztown or Bloomsburg will enter the playoffs as the fourth seed and open Tuesday night at Mansfield, Cheyney or East Stroudsburg.
Stephen Dennis (West Chester, PA/Henderson) scored a game-high 32 points, the ninth time this season he has topped the 30-point mark in a game. Dennis upped his career point total to 2,293. Ryan Washington (Philadelphia, PA/Wissahickon) collected his 15th double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for the Golden Bears.
Kevin Pressbery scored 26 points to lead the Wolves. Also scoring double digits for Cheyney was Rob Townsend (19 points) and Sharif Bray (14).
Cheyney (16-10, 9-4) clinched a playoff spot affter earning its second win of the season over Kutztown. The Wolves scored 49 points in the second half to remain locked in a three-way tie for first place. Cheyney was 6-for-7 from 3-point distance in the second half and it made 53.8 percent of its shots after intermission.
The Golden Bears led 27-25 at intermission and 39-34 early in the second half before the Wolves found their shooting stroke from 3-point distance.
The game featured 14 ties. The last tie occured at 58-58 with 4 minutes, 19 seconds remaining following a Washington junper. Cheyney took the lead for good when Tyrone Smith scored on a short floating basket in the lane with 3:43 remaining.
Cheyney stretched its advantage to 66-60 with 2:30 left and KU pulled to within three points three times in the final 30 seconds. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, they could not get the ball back with an opportunity to send the game into overtime.
In the first half, Kutztown scored 11 straight points to reverse a 17-12 deficit and take its largest lead of the game, 23-17, with 6:15 remaining. KU held Cheyney without a point for nearly seven minutes.
Saturday's event is the Gold Rush, in which fans are encouraged to "Jam the Gym."
-- KU--
