WEST CHESTER-KUTZTOWN PHOTO GALLERY
EAST STROUDSBURG-KUTZTOWN PHOTO GALLERY
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (January 24, 2011) – The Kutztown University women's basketball team hits the road this week beginning with a stop at Cheyney University's Cope Hall for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division battle Wednesday night beginning at 6 p.m.
With 10 games remaining, the Golden Bears (9-7 overall, 2-2 PSAC East) want to keep the momentum going from Saturday's, 69-52 victory over East Stroudsburg. The Golden Bears sit in second place in the East Division one game out of first place. That's the good news. The bad news is KU trails Bloomsburg, Shippensburg, West Chester, and Millersville, who all have 3-1 records. If the season ended today, Kutztown would be on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
Even though Cheyney (4-12, 0-4) has lost nine straight games, the Golden Bears don't expect a walk in the park against the Wolves. Kutztown swept Cheyney last season, 63-61 at Keystone Arena and 75-72 at Cope Hall. However, in each of the games, Kutztown had to rally from a double-digit deficit to win. Cheyney has matched up well with KU as both teams have split the last six meetings. Kutztown has won three in a row against Cheyney.
Fortunately for Kutztown, senior Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) enjoyed the sight of Cheyney's blue-and-white uniforms. She has averaged 18.6 points and 12.6 rebounds against the Wolves during her highlight-filled career. In six contests against Cheyney, McQuade has compiled three of her 27 career double-doubles. She also set her career high scoring and rebounding totals in the same game when she scored 30 points and 19 rebounds in an 82-65 win on Feb. 25, 2009. McQuade also scored her 1,000th career point against Cheyney last season.
McQuade had a memorable week for Kutztown. In the space of four days, McQuade took down a pair of hallowed records. She is now Kutztown's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. McQuade passed Amy Wahl and became the all-time leading scorer in women's basketball history Saturday following her 30-point, 10-rebound performance against East Stroudsburg. McQuade now has 1,436 career points and 859 rebounds.
This season, McQuade leads Kutztown in scoring (16.8 ppg.) and rebounding (8.8). Both of those efforts rank fifth in the PSAC. McQuade has been getting rebounding help lately from sophomore Steph Zewe (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley). She tied her career rebounding high by pulling down 13 rebounds against East Stroudsburg. Averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, Zewe has finished with double-digit rebounding totals in four of her last five games.
Sophomore guard Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) is the only other KU player averaging double digits in scoring (11.4 ppg.). She has scored in double figures in three straight games, but Wood has done most of her scoring in the first half. Wood has scored 39 of her 47 points over the past three games in the first 20 minutes. Freshman Andrea Sisson (Richmond, VA/Godwin) has averaged 9.9 points per contest and she leads the Golden Bears with 37 3-pointers.
Senior guard Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan) is steadily climbing up the Kutztown all-time assist list. Starr has 354 assists and needs seven more to move pass Megan Bainbridge and into third place on the KU all-time list. She has also made 94 career 3-pointers. With six more, Starr will become the seventh player in KU women's history to make 100 career 3-pointers.
This is also a homecoming for several Golden Bears, who played high school basketball not far from Cheyney. In addition to Wood (Spring-Ford), sophomore Jackie Burg (West Chester, PA/Bishop Shanahan) (Bishop Shanahan), junior Brittany Greaves (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) (Great Valley) are also area products, who should have huge cheering sections Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Cheyney is the college basketball version of “Extreme Makeover.” The Wolves roster features all new players this season. Cheyney lost to Bloomsburg, 81-43, at home on Saturday despite Christalee Lynch's double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Lady Wolves struggled shooting the ball, only converting 14 of 62 attempts (23%) against the Huskies.
On the season, Nadirah Brown leads Cheyney in scoring (11.9) and rebounding (8.4). Lynch chips in 10.4 points per game. Lachelle Miller, who has a team-leading 33 assists, adds 8.8 points per game for the Wolves. Cheyney is last in the PSAC East in scoring offense (50.0), assists (8.3), and field goal percentage (30.1). Three of Cheyney's wins have been been two points or less: Wilmington (68-67), Georgian Court (56-54), and Post (62-61). The Wolves' largest margin of victory this season was over Lincoln (72-62).
Both teams return to action Saturday. Kutztown visits Millersville, ranked 23rd in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) poll. Cheyney heads to Mansfield. Both games begin at 1 p.m.
--KU--
