Box Score



KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown's Micah Fraction (Macungie, PA/Montrose Christian) scored a game-high 25 points and Kenny Battle (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) had a double-double in his first start of the year, but a Golden Bear squad down to just six healthy players could not keep up with one of Division II's hottest teams, East Stroudsburg. The Warriors pulled away to pick up an 81-62 win over KU in PSAC East play.
 
Fraction used an 11-of-13 effort from the foul line to power his game-high scoring effort. 
 
Battle, meanwhile, went 4-of-7 shooting and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, a new career-high on the glass. 
 
After the Warriors scored the game's first points, Fraction hit a three to start a 9-0 run for KU.  Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) hit a three and was fouled to convert the rare four-point play.  Tracy Peal followed with a layup off a pass from Battle to put the Golden Bears ahead 9-2 less than five minutes into the action.
 
ESU battled back and took a 15-13 lead on a three by Zechariah Runkle with 10:18 left in the half.  Five minutes later, Tyler Brooks (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) hit a jumper that made the score 21-21 as Kutztown kept pace with the Warriors.
 
East Stroudsburg, however, closed the half with a 20-2 run to take control of the contest.  After Matt Tobin started the run with a basket, he fed Duane Johnson for a three and then on a lob for a dunk.
 
In the second half, Kutztown's deficit was as many as 20 points, a three-point play by Battle pulled the Golden Bears to within 12 at 60-48 with 8:55 remaining, but that was as close as KU could get.
 
KU battled foul trouble with its short roster for much of the second half.  Four players had at least four fouls in the game, but only Fraction fouled out and that was with just 41 seconds to play.
 
Brooks gave Kutztown three players in double figures in scoring with 13 points. He and Battle each played 40 minutes, while Fraction saw 39 minutes of action.  Peal was on the floor for 37 minutes, two more than Connolly. 
 
For ESU, Johnson and Whis Grant had matching 19-point efforts to lead the team.  Dajon Todman came off the bench for 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. 
 
East Stroudsburg shot 55 percent in the second half to finish at 50 percent for the game.  KU overcame an icy first half to hit 46 percent in the final 20 minutes. 
 
The win extended the Warriors win streak to seven straight and was the team's ninth straight road victory.
 
The Golden Bears will look to get back in the win column on January 23 at Cheyney.