KUTZTOWN, Pa. (February 4, 2011) – The second half of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division schedule begins with a contest that will significantly impact the futures of the Kutztown University and Shippensburg University women's basketball teams.
The Golden Bears (13-6 overall, 4-3 PSAC East) go for the season sweep against the Red Raiders (9-10, 4-3) and the all-important tiebreaker edge when they collide Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena beginning at 1 p.m. The game can be heard live on WEEU-830 AM based out of Reading.
The reality is the PSAC East playoff battle on the women's side has simply been reduced to five teams fighting for four spots. Bloomsburg and Millersville lead the East with 6-1 records. West Chester is 5-2. The winner of this contest stays a step ahead in its quest to play a first round game on March 1. Kutztown defeated Shippensburg, 77-72, on Jan. 12. So technically, KU would be in the playoffs if the season ended today based on its head-to-head victory.
“The competition is always great,” Kutztown head coach Janet Malouf said. “As a competitor, you always want to be in big games and this one will have a huge impact on the season. These games are stressful though.”
Of course, Kutztown could easily be leading the pack in the PSAC. In their three conference losses, the Golden Bears led Millersville by 10 points in the second half with 10 minutes remaining, led West Chester by 13 points at intermission, and had the ball against Bloomsburg with a chance to win the game. So the Golden Bears know the razor-thin position that they're in.
The Golden Bears will look to finish a perfect week and extend their winning streak to three games. Kutztown defeated Mansfield in its last outing, 76-44, behind Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) (20 points) and Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) (19 points). The Golden Bear defense was a monster in the victory forcing 29 Mansfield turnovers and limiting the Mountaineers to 13 baskets on 22 percent shooting.
This is the second of a crucial three-game home stand for Kutztown. Following Shippensburg, West Chester visits on Wednesday. So the Golden Bears know if they take care of business, they'll be in a great position when they take their next road trip to Bloomsburg on Feb. 12. This contest will match the top two free-throw shooting squads in the PSAC. Shippensburg leads the PSAC as it makes 77.5 percent of its attempts. Kutztown is second in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 75.4.
Kutztown is thriving offensively behind the scoring of Wood, McQuade, and freshman Andrea Sisson (Richmond, VA/Godwin). All three players average double figures led by McQuade's 16.4 points per contest. Wood, who has scored in double figures in six consecutive contests, scores at a 12.7 point per game clip and Sisson is averaging 10.3 points. Brittany Le Van has had a strong week as she scored 12 points against Cheyney and pulled down eight rebounds against Mansfield.
Senior Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan) has been contributing in several other areas that haven't shown up on the scoresheet. She has fueled Kutztown's suffocating defensive effort in the last two games. She's one reason why Kutztown leads the PSAC in field goal percentage defense (35.1). The Golden Bear defense has held its last two opponents to a combined 32-for-126 (25.3 percent). Playing the top scorer on the other team, Starr's defense has been tenacious.
“Meredith is doing a good job on the defensive end for us this year,” Malouf said. “She's a hard-nosed competitor and she competes every time she steps on the floor. Meredith has been our go-to stopper this year. She's been in a tough position because she's playing the several positions for us with us having several kids out. She's done a good job and battles everyday.”
Kutztown's defense should receive a workout against Shippensburg, which is led by Kasey Gardner's 18.3 point per game average. Gardner is the PSAC's second leading scorer.
Shippensburg will try to get back on track after falling to Millersville, 75-70, Wednesday night. The Red Raiders had three players score in double figures led by Monae Baker's 15 points and nine rebounds. Lindsay Howard scored 12 points and Shawna Wert added 10 points. Overall, the Red Raiders have lost two of their last three games following a three-game winning streak that was highlighted by a 69-66 win over Bloomsburg.
In addition to Gardner, Shippensburg has two other players averaging double figures in points: Shawna Wet (11.6 points per game) and Dana Wert (10.4 points per game). The Red Raiders shoot 40.2 percent on the season.
Both teams return to action Wednesday evening. Kutztown finishes its three-game home stand against West Chester University and Shippensburg hosts Bloomsburg University. Both games begin at 6 p.m.
--KU--
