MILLERSVILLE-KUTZTOWN PHOTO GALLERY
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (February 1, 2011) – The Kutztown University women's basketball team starts a three-game home stand against Mansfield University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game Wednesday evening at Keystone Arena beginning at 6 p.m.
The Golden Bears (10-8 overall, 3-3 PSAC East) will look to win consecutive conference contests for the first time this season. In two of KU's three PSAC East losses to West Chester and Millersville, the Golden Bears held a double digit advantage and led at halftime. However, those games are in the past. The only team that matters to Kutztown as it continues its playoff push is Mansfield (6-12, 1-5).
Kutztown won both meetings last year against Mansfield. The Golden Bears won in double overtime 86-73 on the road and 72-44 at home.
Kutztown is coming off a solid 83-61 victory at Cheyney on Monday night. The Golden Bears placed four players in double figures highlighted by Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford)'s 23 points. Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) recorded her 28th career double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Week Andrea Sisson (Richmond, VA/Godwin) scored 15 points and Brittany Le Van added 12 points for the balanced Golden Bears.
Wood is one of three Kutztown players averaging double figures. She is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game. McQuade leads the team in scoring (16.4 points per game), rebounding (8.8) and total assists (60). Sisson comes off the bench and adds 10.2 points per contest. Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan) has handed out 59 assists and is close to moving up on the KU all-time assist list. She has 358 assists and needs three more to move pass Megan Bainbridge and into third place on the KU all-time list.
Wood has reached double digits in scoring 11 times this season and in five straight contests. Also, Wood has scored 20 or more points five times this season. She had an amazing two-day stretch against Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock when she scored 20 and 26 points, respectively. That effort earned her the PSAC East Player of the Week award.
Against Cheyney, Wood made a career-high six 3-pointers. She has buried eight 3-pointers in her last two games. Of course, the maddening thing for everybody is lately Wood has been producing big first halves. Then the second half starts. In her last six games, Wood has scored 65 of her 83 points in the opening 20 minutes.
“I'm trying to figure out that out myself,” Wood said. “I don't have an answer. I feel like I come out in the second half with the same energy in the second half. I am playing my hardest. I am just not sure what I can do.”
Wood has been playing basketball since she was 8. She comes from a family of athletes. All of her siblings played sports so it's no surprise that Wood is athletic. In addition to shining on the basketball court in high school, Wood excelled at lacrosse where she scored 97 goals and played field hockey.
A psychology major, Wood is a natural on the hardwood. Her quickness enables her to leave defenders in the dust. She's smoother than a peanut butter milkshake when she has the ball in hands and breaking ankles. When she's making shots, she looks like Reggie Miller against the Knicks.
During one game this season against Slippery Rock, Wood made seven shots in a row and had the entire gym buzzing with her long-range accuracy. Despite being rail-thin, Wood plays with more heart than Hallmark on Valentine's Day. After seeing plenty of action last season, Wood knew her role would increase this year.
“The transition from high school to college was a big difference for me,” Wood said. “I thought I had a pretty good year as a freshman, but I knew I would have to work harder over the summer if I was going to make an impact. I feel like I have improved and I know I definitely can get better.”
Mansfield will look to get back on track and end a three-game losing streak. The Mounties lost to Cheyney, 74-69, in their last outing despite Mallory Moore's fourth double-double of the season. She scored 15 points and brought down 12 rebounds. Moore dished out seven assists on the evening and was three assists away from recording her first triple-double. Sophomore Julia Stevenson had 13 points and recorded six rebounds. Freshman Megan Touhey put up 12 points for the Mountaineers and had four steals.
Moore leads Mansfield in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.2). She is the only Mansfield player averaging double figures. Jena Matters scores at an 8.4 point per game clip and Nicole Pender averages 7.3 points. Pender leads the Mounties with 89 assists. She's fourth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.9).
Kutztown continues its three-game home stand Saturday afternoon when it hosts Shippensburg University. Mansfield continues its three-game road trip Saturday when it travels to West Chester. Both games to kick off the second half of the PSAC East schedule begin at 1 p.m.
--KU--
