KUTZTOWN, Pa. (January 21, 2011) – Aretha Franklin wanted respect. Kutztown University head women's basketball coach Janet Malouf just wants consistency as her team prepares to meet East Stroudsburg University Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game at Keystone Arena beginning at 1 p.m.
The Golden Bears have played a pair of outstanding halves in their last two games. The problem for KU was it was in two separate games. In the second half against Bloomsburg and the first half against West Chester, the Golden Bears looked awesome. However, since games require two halves, KU has looked the opposite in the first half against Bloomsburg and second half against West Chester, allowing 50 or more points in each stanza.
“We have to play a complete game,” Malouf said. “This is a game that we have to win and find a way to get it done. We don't need everybody to be outstanding; we just need everybody who plays to be steady and consistent.”
Kutztown (8-7 overall, 1-2 PSAC East) defeated East Stroudsburg (4-11, 1-2) twice last season by scores of 85-52 at Kutztown and 66-58 at ESU. Both teams opened conference play with victories. Kutztown beat Shippensburg and ESU knocked off Cheyney. Since then both teams have dropped their last two games. KU lost to Bloomsburg and West Chester. ESU fell to West Chester and Mansfield despite making 13 3-pointers against the Mounties.
Against West Chester, sophomore guard Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) was electric in the first half in scoring 17 of her team-high 20 points. Also finishing in double digits was Steph Zewe (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley) and Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan), who scored 13 points each. Zewe also had a team-high 10 rebounds. Zewe has been delivering consistent efforts for the Golden Bears as she recorded her second double-double in her last three games.
Senior forward Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) leads the Golden Bears in scoring (15.9 points per game) and rebounding (8.5). She recently became the KU women's basketball all-time leading rebounder. McQuade has 849 career rebounds. With that standard behind her, McQuade is on course to become the all-time scoring leader in Kutztown history. With 1,406 career points, McQuade needs 29 to pass Amy Wahl's mark of 1,434 points.
Wood, who was named PSAC East Player of the Week on Jan. 5, is the Golden Bears' second leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Wood has scored in double figures in KU's last two games. In addition to dropping 20 against West Chester, she scored 15 against Bloomsburg. However, 29 of her 35 points over that span have been scored in the first half.
Meanwhile, East Stroudsburg is coming off a tough setback against Mansfield. Redshirt junior forward Brittany McClain (25 points) and junior guard Jennifer Scherer (15 points) both had career-highs for the Warriors, who were 13-for-21 from the 3-point line for their most made three's since hitting 14 against Goldey-Beacom in November 2004. McClain scored 16 of her 25 points in the second half. She had 11 of the Warriors' final 16 points.
ESU hit more three-pointers (13) than two-pointers (11) in a game for the first time since November 2002 at LIU-Southampton, with Scherer going 5-for-6, McClain 4-for-6, freshman guard Andrea Veres 3-for-8 and sophomore guard Barb Borst 1-for-1. The Warriors shot 61.9 percent from long distance and a season-best 40.7 percent from the field, but were 11-for-38 (28.9 percent) inside the arc.
Veres, the reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Week, finished with nine points, five rebounds and tied a career-high with seven assists. Sophomore forward Mia Waring had a career-high 10 rebounds, seven on the offensive end.
Overall, McClain leads the Warriors in scoring (10.5). Veres averages 9.5 points per game and Borst chips in 9.3 points for ESU, which averages 51.6 points per game.
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 6 p.m.
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