KUTZTOWN, Pa. (January 28, 2011) – Thanks to Mother Nature, the Kutztown University men's basketball team will finish the first half of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division schedule with three games in five days. The stretch begins with a quick trip down route 222 to face Millersville University at Pucillo Gym Saturday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. (CLICK FOR LIVE STATS)
Both teams had their games postponed because of Wednesday's winter storm that dumped up to a foot of snow in some areas. The Golden Bears were scheduled to visit Cheyney. That game will be played Monday evening at Cope Hall starting at 8 p.m. Millersville was supposed to travel to East Stroudsburg. The Marauders will make the trip to Koehler Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon starting at 3 p.m.
The latest Kutztown-Millersville installment features a pair of teams that are hot enough to melt all of the snow on the ground. Kutztown (11-5 overall, 4-0 PSAC East) has won four straight games, and five of its last six. Meanwhile, Millersville (7-8, 2-2) has been on a roll lately, winning consecutive PSAC East games for the first time since February 2009. The Marauders have won four of their last six contests overall.
Kutztown has won the last four meetings against the Marauders, including an 83-63 victory at Millersville and a 77-69 decision at Keystone Arena last season. Kutztown hasn't been spooked by Pucillo Gym in recent years as it has won in five its last six visits to Millersville. In its last two trips to Millersville, Kutztown has posted double-digit victories. This season, Millersville is 7-2 at home, falling to Mansfield (75-55) and Ashland (64-60).
The Marauders' last win over KU was a 99-88 victory in the PSAC quarterfinals at Kutztown on Mar. 4, 2008.
The Golden Bears received two votes in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) top 25 poll. Kutztown enters this game with at least a two-game over every team in the PSAC East except Mansfield, who defeated Bloomsburg, 81-74, Wednesday night. The Mansfield-Bloomsburg contest was the only PSAC East game played Wednesday.
This will be the first game in a week for both teams. Kutztown edged East Stroudsburg, 85-82, in its last outing. Millersville capped a memorable week by beating West Chester, 82-70. In the space of three days, Millersville beat two of its biggest rivals, Cheyney and WCU.
Against East Stroudsburg, Kutztown had five players reach double figures highlighted by Nate Edwards (Philadelphia, PA/North Catholic)' 18 points. Steve Coffey (Reading, PA/Wilson) (17 points), Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) (15), Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area) (12) and Jermaine Jackson (Blandon, PA/Reading) (11) also made key plays in the win over East Stroudsburg.
In being named the PSAC East Player of the Week, Coffey averaged 17.0 points and 2.0 steals while shooting a blistering 85.7 percent from the floor (12-for-14) last week in a pair of victories over West Chester and ESU. Coffey is averaging 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Coffey is one of many weapons that have contributed to the Golden Bear early season success.
In all of its conference games this season, the Golden Bears have had at least four players reach in double figures and they've been led in scoring by somebody different. Eric Brennan (Chester, PA/West Catholic) scored 16 points against Shippensburg. Gray's career-high 26 points fueled the Golden Bear win over Bloomsburg. Coffey led the way against West Chester with 17 points. Edward's 18 points lifted KU over ESU.
The one player who wasn't mentioned was Johnson, who is Kutztown's leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and rebounder (8.4 rebounds per game). Johnson has been a rock for Kutztown this season. Johnson has reached double figures in scoring 12 times this year and he has recorded four double-doubles. Johnson is one of four Kutztown players averaging double figures.
Gray chips in at 14.1 points per game and he leads the Golden Bears with 34 3-pointers. Edwards is scoring at a 11.2 point per game clip and Brennan contributes 11.1 points per game.
Another secret to Kutztown's winning formula has been its ability to control the second half of games. The Golden Bears have trailed for a grand total of 5 minutes, 34 seconds in the second half. Kutztown has also held a double-digit edge at some point during the second half.
In Millersville's win over West Chester, Mike Seibert drilled 6-of-9 from downtown to finish with 24 points, leading five Marauders in double figures. Bernard Brown played an outstanding all-around game, totaling 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Marauders hit 26-of-55 shots and sank a season-high 11 3-pointers.
It was the first time this season that five MU players scored in double figures in the same game. Millersville received 11 points and six assists from freshman Mike Holley, and 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from Jaymes Miller.
At home, Millersville is averaging 70.6 points and allowing 62.6 points on 37.9 percent shooting. Holley (three) and Miller (one) have won four PSAC East Freshman of the Week awards. Holley is second on the team in scoring (11.4) and first in assists (4.1) and steals (1.9). He ranks third in the PSAC in assists, fourth in steals and ninth in assists/turnover ratio. Miller is on quite a roll as well. Over the last five games, he's averaging 11.8 points on 50.8 percent shooting and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Desmond Vance, Millersville's leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, has scored double figures in nine-straight games. Also, Seibert averages 10.3 points per game for the Maruaders. He leads the team with 83 3-pointers. Jim Kelleherhas buried 67 3-pointers.
The teams will close the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 26 at Keystone Arena. After each squad plays its make-up game, they will close the first half of the PSAC East schedule Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Kutztown hosts Mansfield and Millersville travels to Shippensburg.
--KU--
