KUTZTOWN, PA (February 26, 2010) – Although the Kutztown University women's basketball team clinched second place and the home game that goes along with it in the upcoming Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs, the Golden Bears are motivated more than ever to finish their challenging regular season with a flourish when they welcome Bloomsburg University to Keystone Arena Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.).
The nadir of the Kutztown season was its 46-45 loss to the Huskies on Jan. 30, a game in which no KU player reached double digits. Bloomsburg scored the final 13 points of the game in the last five minutes, 22 seconds to stun the Golden Bears. The Huskies are still alive for a possible PSAC playoff spot. Bloomsburg can earn the No. 3 seed and a return trip to Kutztown if it wins, West Chester knocks off East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg loses to Cheyney.
Seniors Chauntelle Schroeder, Vivian Melvin, Rachel Wisemiller and Katie Dovey will be recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to Kutztown basketball before the game. That will begin a festive day of “Gold Rush” activities inside of Keystone Arena. At halftime of the women's game, student-athletes who earned Dean's List status will be honored.
“We're really focused on closing the season strong and going into the playoffs with some momentum,” Schroeder said. “We were disappointed with how we finished the first game against Bloomsburg. It's going to be a challenge for us, but I am confident that we will be ready once the game starts.”
Both teams enter the game coming off of victories. Kutztown clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season and 16th time in program history by defeating Cheyney, 75-72 Wednesday night. It will be Kutztown's first home playoff game since 1998 when it defeated Millersville, 48-41. Meanwhile, Bloomsburg snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Mansfield, 87-54.
Junior Melissa McQuade continues to quietly climb the Kutztown all-time scoring chart. She is eighth all-time with 1,111 points. McQuade tallied 15 of her team-high 20 points in the second half at Cheyney. She has scored 20 or more points in consecutive games. McQuade is seventh in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage (40.2), ninth in scoring (15.3) and eighth in rebounding (8.2).
The strength of the Golden Bears has been their balance. Wisemiller is second in the PSAC in blocked shots (1.9) and seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.0). Wisemiller has 976 career points and she is second on the team in scoring at 10.3 points per game. Melvin leads the Golden Bears with 101 assists and is seventh in the PSAC in assists per game (3.9). Melvin had an outstanding all-around game in the playoff clincher at Cheyney with seven points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Schroeder scored 16 points against Cheyney. She is the third leading scorer on the team (9.2). Junior guard Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan) has been a guiding light for the Golden Bears. She tied her career high with 14 points in the victory at Cheyney. She is second in the PSAC in assist to turnover ratio. Junior guard Kristen Murray has made significant contributions this season. She had six assists in the win at Cheyney.
All four of Kutztown's home defeats were to nationally-ranked teams at the time of the game. The Golden Bears lost to 25th-ranked Holy Family (77-63), 10th-ranked California (80-78), 6th-ranked Gannon (86-68) and 25th-ranked Millersville (70-62).
“I am very excited that we qualified for the PSAC playoffs,” Kutztown head coach Janet Malouf said. “We want to make that a tradition and then improve on that to challenge for the conference title every year. Finishing second was huge for our team allowing us to host a playoff game. We have had a very challenging schedule and to have it pay off for our players is satisfying, however we don't want to be done yet. We want our seniors to go out with a bang and set the bar for the next class.”
Bloomsburg has been powered by its freshmen quartet of Dana Wieller, Alyssa Flanagan, Kayla Oxenrider and Lauren Biczelewski. They have combined to win 10 of the 14 conference freshman of the week awards this season, with Wieller taking seven.
Wieller, the top scorer on the Huskies, ranks sixth in the PSAC averaging 16.2 ppg. She has hit double-figures in 21 of 24 games this season, scoring 20 or more points seven times, including a season-high 29 against Nyack. Wieller became Bloomsburg's single season leader in 3-pointers made. She leads the PSAC in 3-pointers made per game (3.2) and is fourth in 3-point shooting percentage (42.5).
Flanagan is fourth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.5). Christina Sereta is third in the PSAC in blocked shots (1.8). Oxenrider is an all-around threat for the Huskies, ranking third on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), third in assists (49) and fourth in rebounds (3.6 rpg).
The Huskies have thrived on the defensive end this season, holding opponents to 35.3 percent shooting, which is second in the PSAC. Bloomsburg is also second in the PSAC in 3-pointers made per game (8.1). They have also held seven opponents below 50 points.
GOLD RUSH IS STILL ON: Kutztown University hosts Bloomsburg University for a basketball doubleheader on Saturday, February 27 and invites the community, alumni, students, staff and faculty to “Jam the Gym” – celebrating KU athletics and a successful season for Golden Bear men's and women's basketball. Their goal is to fill every seat available in Keystone Hall, home to KU basketball.
Fans and friends are encouraged to wear their 'gold' apparel to the final basketball games of the season. At half-time of the men's game, a KU student will be randomly selected to shoot from half-court for a Gold Rush prize of $10,000.
The first-ever Gold Rush begins at noon with a Gold Rush rally for alumni, hosted by the Kutztown University Alumni Association in the Student Recreation Center. The Rush continues with the women's basketball game at 1 p.m. and the men's basketball game at 3 p.m. Tickets are just $5 and are available at the door on game day; KU students, staff and faculty are free.
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