KUTZTOWN, Pa. (January 27, 2011) – The Kutztown University women's basketball team returns to action after a longer than expected break when it visits nationally-ranked Millersville University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game Saturday afternoon at Pucillo Gym 1:00 p.m. LIVE STATS / LIVE AUDIO / LIVE PAY-PER-VIEW-VIDEO
Kutztown enters the game with an opportunity to slay a giant. The Golden Bears (9-7 overall, 2-2 PSAC East) defeated East Stroudsburg University last week, 69-54. However, the Golden Bears face a formidable task in the Marauders, ranked 20th in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) top 25 poll.
“It's definitely going to be a good challenge for us,” Kutztown sophomore guard Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) said. “We know that Millersville is very athletic and like to press, so we're going to have to be ready, stay patient and trust each other. Plus we're going to have to be strong with the ball and play hard from the beginning of the game. It's exciting and as a basketball player, you relish these opportunities.”
Millersville won both matchups against Kutztown last season. The Marauders beat KU, 61-42 at Pucillo Gym and rallied from a second-half double digit deficit to claim a 70-62 victory at Keystone Arena. Overall, the Marauders have won 19 of the last 20 matchups against the Golden Bears. Kutztown's last win at Pucillo Gym was a 63-62 decision on Jan. 10, 2001.
Millersville (13-3, 3-1) has won three straight games since losing its PSAC East opener at Bloomsburg. All three of the Marauders' wins have been by double-digits including an impressive 81-59 romp over West Chester in its last outing a week ago. Millersville also handled Mansfield University (67-52), and Cheyney University (57-41). During previous games, the Marauders defense put intense pressure on opposing teams, keeping shooting percentages as low as possible.
Kutztown forward Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) has dominated her senior year. Last week in the space of three days, McQuade has become the Golden Bears' all-time leading scorer and rebounder. After she successfully scored 30-points along with her 10-rebounds against ESU, McQuade leads KU as their new all-time leading scorer with 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.
Wood 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 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.
Meanwhile, in its victory over West Chester last week, senior guard Domonique Stroman boasted her third career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Aurielle Mosley registered her seventh double-double with a game-high 17 rebounds--10 on the offensive end alone--and 12 points. Sophomore Mashira Newman led all scorers with 19 points, while junior Gabrielle Styles scored a career-high 14 points. Sophomore Carrie Sheffey also had a career day with 10 points.
Newman (14.5 points per game) and Mosley (12.8) lead Millersville in scoring. Mosley also averages 11.3 rebounds per contest. Stroman and Sophia Waters chip in 9.6 points per game.
The Marauders rank third nationally in blocked shots per game with 5.9 and 19th in steals with 12.8. The Marauders also sit fourth in rebounding margin, grabbing down an average of 10.1 more rebounds per game than their opponents. MU not only holds high marks in the division, but in the PSAC as well. Millersville sits atop the conference in scoring defense average (56.3 points), offensive rebounds (20.1), rebounding margin and blocked shots.
The Golden Bears are set and ready to play, eager to take a win away from the Marauders PSAC record this weekend. Kutztown and Millersville will meet each other in the season finale on Feb. 26 at Keystone Arena.
Both teams will immediately return to action as they make-up games from Wednesday's postponements. Millersville travels to East Stroudsburg Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. start. The Golden Bears make the short trip to Cheyney's Cope Hall Monday night for a contest beginning at 6 p.m.
--KU--
