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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team looks to pull off its greatest upset of the season, as the Golden Bears take on the seventh-ranked Indiana University (PA) Crimson Hawks on Saturday, Dec. 21 beginning at 3 p.m. at Keystone Arena.
 
Led by a cast of international players and Division I transfers, IUP (9-0, 3-0 PSAC West) has yet to lose this season. In fact, its lone win by single-digits came at Seton Hill on Dec. 7. As for the Golden Bears (3-5, 1-2 PSAC East), they look to finish their first crossover week with a 2-1 record. Kutztown won at Clarion and lost at Pitt-Johnstown to split its PSAC crossover road trip. The loss to UPJ marked the first road defeat of the season for the Golden Bears.

LAST TIME OUT: Kutztown overcame a 23-point deficit, but could not hold off Pitt-Johnstown in a 86-75 loss Wednesday night. This marked the first road defeat for the Golden Bears this season. After UPJ rolled out to a 36-13 lead, Kutztown matched that run to tie the game at 49 apiece. However, Pitt-Johnstown got the lead back on the next score and did not relinquish the lead again. Kutztown shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half.
 
DOUBLE J, DOUBLE DIGITS: With freshman forward Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) scoring 15 points Wednesday night, he became the first KU freshman since Butch Hills to score in double digits in each of his first eight games. Hills, a Kutztown Athletics Hall of Famer, achieved the feat in his first 10 games in the 1985-86 season. Through eight games, Johnson ranks third on the team with 13.4 points per game and leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.
 
REGRESSION TO THE MEAN: Through eight games this season, Kutztown's success so far stems very largely on their defensive success from three-point range. The Golden Bears allowed their opponents to shoot 11-of-67 (16.4 percent) in their three wins. However, they've also allowed their opponents to shoot 38-of-82 (46.3 percent) in the five losses. Offensively speaking, KU has not converted more than four three-point field goals since the season opener.
 
THE PEAL DEAL: Sophomore forward Tracy Peal leads the team with 15.5 points per game. Improving his game shape and shooting range from last season, Peal now looks like arguably the top focal point offensively with Tyler Brooks (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) out due to injury. Peal leads the team in both field goal attempts (90) and free throws attempts (61). He also has 6.1 rebounds per game, which ranks second on the team, behind Johnson.
 
LINE OF BAD LUCK ENDS: While a team can prevent opponents from getting to the free throw line, they cannot have a direct impact on their opponents' success line. Kutztown's 73.2 percent opponent free throw percentage ranks second in the PSAC. Only Indiana, Pa. ranks worse, with a 77.5 opponent free throw percentage. Offensively speaking for Kutztown, the team ranks last in the conference by shooting 63.8 percent from the charity stripe. The 9.6 differential in free throw percentage is the worst in the PSAC.
 
GOLDEN ROAD FOR IMPROVEMENT: Despite a 0-4 start to the season at Keystone Arena, the Golden Bears earned victories in their first three road games. This surpassed the road win total from last season, when the Golden Bears finished 2-12. Last year, Kutztown won in its visits at Wilmington and Shippensburg. However, the Golden Bears finished the year with a nine-game losing streak. The 3-0 road start was a first since the 2009-10 season, when the team finished 23-8.
 
ABOUT INDIANA (PA) CRIMSON HAWKS
 
TRANSFERRED LOVE: IUP recruits very well to build a strong and versatile center. One part of that comes from getting four transfers from Division I schools. Mathis Keita (team-leading 17.7 points per game) hails from Gonzaga. Fellow starter Jeremy Jeffers played two years at Drake. Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) and Daniel Vigus (Towson) are also transfers.
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: The second part of IUP's stellar recruiting comes from its ability to get players abroad. Keita and Kalusha Ndoumbe Ngollo hail from France. Marcel Souberbielle (16.6 points per game, second on the team) hails from Uruguay. Finally, freshmen Stefan Osborne and Nathan Lemke hail from Australia.