Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video | KU Game Notes | BLOOM Game Notes
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team travels to face Bloomsburg University on Saturday, March 1 in the first round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Tournament. Tipoff at Nelson Field House is set for 2 p.m.
 
This game marks the second consecutive match-up between the two teams at Nelson Field House. The Golden Bears (10-16) used a 34-6 run in the second half Wednesday night to earn a 73-64, giving the Maroon and Gold a regular season sweep over their PSAC East foes. Kutztown won the first meeting on Jan. 25, overcoming an early 21-point deficit to win 72-61 at Keystone Arena. Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) scored 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the two wins.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Golden Bears finished their regular season with a regular season sweep of Bloomsburg (15-11) after a 73-64 win at Nelson Field House. Kutztown keyed the victory with a 34-6 run in the second half. KU shot 17-of-25 in the second half en route to a season-best 57.4 percent field goal shooting. It marked the first time the Huskies allowed a team to shoot 50 percent or better from the field. The Maroon and Gold also got a season-best five three-pointers from Martin Dietrich (Maytown, Pa./Donegal), who scored a season-high 18 points. KU ends the regular season 7-5 on the road.
 
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: This men's basketball tournament features the top six teams in each of the two divisions, with the top two teams on each side earning a first-round bye. The first round features the three seeds hosting the six seeds from the same division (KU at Bloomsburg in the East and California, Pa. at Mercyhurst in the West) and the four seeds hosting the five seeds (Millersville at Lock Haven in the East and Seton Hill at Slippery Rock in the West).
 
THE PEAL DEAL: With 21 points Wednesday night, sophomore forward Tracy Peal surpassed the 20-point threshold for the seventh time in 16 games in 2014. Also, he fell one rebound shy of his fifth double-double in this span. Peal leads Kutztown with 16.7 points per game (ninth in the PSAC). However, with a 3-of-6 showing from the free throw line, it was his worst percentage in the last 14 games he attempted at least one free throw.
 
DOUBLE J, DOUBLE DIGITS: Scoring 20 points against the Huskies, freshman forward Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) reached double figures for the 21st time this season. Johnson once had a nine-game double-digit scoring streak this season, which was the longest by a KU freshman to start his career since Butch Hills in the 1985-86 season. Now a four-time PSAC East Freshman of the Week, Johnson averages 13.3 points per game, including a 20.3 average over his last four games. Also, he shoots 62.2 percent from the field, ranking second in PSAC.
 
NEED THE THREE: The Golden Bears rank last in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage. However, they performed well in each of the last two games without leading three-point shooter in Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area). Kutztown shot 5-of-11 from three last Saturday against Shippensburg, thanks to a trio of treys from Elijah Jackson (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown). Then on Wednesday, KU shot 6-of-12 from long distance, with Martin Dietrich (Maytown, Pa./Donegal) being the star. Only three players have at least 10 three-pointers made.
 
RELIABLE RYAN: Besides the three-pointers, sophomore guard Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) gets the job done at the free-throw line, shooting 88.9 percent from the stripe. Ty Brickus owns the single-season record with his 89.7 free throw percentage in the 2004-05 season. However, the sophomore recently missed the last three games with a shoulder injury.
 
Looking in the Other Corner: the Bloomsburg Huskies
 
AIR JORDAN: Redshirt senior guard/forward Dontahe Jordan leads the team with 14.7 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, including at least 16 points in each of his last five games, making him a consistent offensive threat. Jordan also averages 8.9 rebounds per game. He tallied eight double-doubles in the last 12 games.
 
CHRISTMAS ALL YEAR: Redshirt senior guard Lorenzo Christmas will likely be the key offensive threat from deep. He set the school record for three-point field goals, now with 232 for his career. He ranks second on the team with 14.0 points per game and does so on 43.7 percent shooting from three. He has 12 games with at least 15 points scored this season.
 
HEY THERE, COACH: Huskies head coach John Sanow is in his eighth season with the program, owning a 90-124 record in that time. Sanow gave the Huskies a share of the PSAC East crown two years ago and led the team to a 19-9 record overall. His assistant coaching experience includes stops at Division I schools like Vermont and St. Francis, Pa.