KUTZTOWN, Pa. (January 21, 2011) – The challenges keep on coming. Rarely do coaches and players get to savor a nice victory during the heat of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action. (LIVE STATS) / (LISTEN LIVE)
Three days after winning a tough road contest at West Chester University, the Kutztown University men's basketball team returns home to find PSAC East preseason favorite East Stroudsburg waiting for them in a key conference clash at Keystone Arena beginning at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WEEU (830 AM) out of Reading beginning at 2:45 p.m.
The Golden Bears (10-5 overall, 3-0 PSAC East) have an opportunity to open up a two-game cushion over the Warriors (9-6, 2-1) with a victory. However, earning a fourth straight victory and remaining unbeaten in the PSAC is going to take another effort like the one the Golden Bears turned in at West Chester Wednesday night in a 73-62 victory.
Kutztown swept East Stroudsburg last season in a pair of tightly contested games that featured more action and drama than an episode of “The Game.” Each contest could've gone either way. The Golden Bears beat ESU 87-84 at Keystone Arena and 65-63 at Koehler Field House. Both teams participated in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals last season and combined to win 47 games.
“It's just fun to compete in this conference,” Kutztown University head coach Bernie Driscoll said. “I don't ask my kids to win every game. I ask them to play hard, respect themselves, their family and the University. They do that the wins and losses take care of themselves. Lately, we've been playing hard.”
Kutztown has found its niche midway through the season. The last few years, the Golden Bears relied on the awesome scoring talents of Dave Ben and Stephen Dennis (West Chester, PA/Henderson), a pair of 2,000-point scorers that terrorized the PSAC. Now, without that scoring prowess, the Golden Bears have found other ways to win games and remain in their familiar position, on top of the PSAC.
The Golden Bears get after teams defensively, make timely baskets and get contributions from everybody on their roster. Against West Chester in its 73-62 victory, senior guard Steve Coffey (Reading, PA/Wilson) led four Kutztown players in double figures with 17 points. Senior guard Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area) had 15 points, and Nate Edwards (Philadelphia, PA/North Catholic) finished with 14 points. Coffey was KU's fourth different leading scorer in the Golden Bears' last four contests.
Fueling Kutztown's recent surge has been the three-headed inside monster of Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), Jermaine Jackson (Blandon, PA/Reading) and Eric Brennan (Chester, PA/West Catholic). They have all added their unique flavor to the Golden Bears this season. Johnson is a beast underneath the basket and extremely strong around the basket with a soft finishing touch. Brennan can step out and make jump shots or convert around the hoop with either hand. Jackson is combination of both players and he is really comfortable in the Golden Bears' rotation.
“I think Jermaine was a little unsure of his role at first,” Driscoll said. “I give him a ton of credit because he's really adjusted to his role. We believe we have three really effective big people that can get the job done for us.”
Johnson leads Kutztown in scoring (14.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.3). Gray adds 14.2 points per outing. Brennan averages 11.3 points per contest and Edwards scores at a 10.5 clip. Coffey and Jackson combine to score 15 points a game. Jackson has scored in double figures in two of KU's last three games.
“I have to credit my assistant coaches Tom York, Ricky Hicks, and Andre Coles for keeping the team in the right frame of mind,” Driscoll said. “We know East Stroudsburg is another big game for us and that's the only thing we're focused on. ESU is well coached and Jeff Wilson will have his team ready.”
East Stroudsburg suffered its first conference loss in its last outing at Mansfield, 76-70. Senior forward Mike Tobin scored 17 points and sophomore forward Duane Johnson had 16 for ESU in the game. Despite being outrebounded, 45-31, ESU shot 37.9 percent, had 12 turnovers, made three 3-pointers and was 23-for-28 at the foul line. The Warriors, who play several people, got 25 points from their bench.
This game finishes an arduous road stretch for the Warriors, who played at West Chester last weekend and Mansfield Wednesday. Much like Kutztown, East Stroudsburg relies on a balanced scoring attack as it has 11 players averaging double-digit minutes. Johnson (12.3 points per game) and Tobin (11.1) are the only Warriors who score in double figures. Terrance King, the reigning PSAC East Rookie of the Year, scores a 9.9 point per game clip. Russell Graham, III (8.6) and Micah Covert (8.1) also make important scoring contributions for the Warriors.
Both teams continue PSAC East play Wednesday night. Kutztown travels to Cheyney University. East Stroudsburg returns home to meet Millersville University. Both games begin at 8 p.m.
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