Live Stats KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team is currently 4-1 to start the 2015-16 season and looks to continue its winning ways this weekend against the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchups inside Keystone Arena.
The Golden Bears take on Pitt-Johnstown on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 4:00 p.m.
Kutztown (4-1, 3-1 PSAC) is tied for second with East Stroudsburg in the PSAC East standings at 3-1, both a game behind West Chester, who is 4-0 in conference play. Pitt-Johnstown is tied for second in the PSAC West standings at 3-1, while Indiana (Pa.) is tied for fourth in the PSAC West at 2-2.
KU dropped its last matchup against Pitt-Johnstown, an 86-75 loss on Dec. 18, 2013. The Golden Bears also lost their last matchup against Indiana (Pa.), an 88-56 loss on Dec. 21, 2013.
Kutztown heads into weekend play coming off a 69-60 comeback victory at Millersville on Tuesday. The Golden Bears trailed by double-digits early in the game, but charged from behind to earn the win over the Marauders.
The Golden Bear offense leads the PSAC in scoring at 91.2 points per game and is also first in scoring margin in the conference at 21.2. Kutztown leads the PSAC in field goal percentage (51.7) and defensive field goal percentage (37.4), and is second in three-point percentage at 42.6 and in defensive three-point percentage at 25.9.
The explosive offense has been led by a trio of players to begin the season. Redshirt-junior
Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area), junior
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) and sophomore
Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) are all averaging more than 12 points per game thus far.
Connolly is averaging a team-high 15.8 points (15th in PSAC) on an efficient 55 percent from the field, 50 percent from behind the arc (fifth in PSAC) and 84 percent from the free throw line (eighth in PSAC). Connolly is also second on the team in rebounding (5.0 per game) and blocked shots (6). He is fourth in the PSAC in three-pointers per game with 2.8.
Johnson is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game. He leads the team in rebounding at 8.8 per game (seventh in PSAC) and is tied for the team-lead with six steals. Johnson is also shooting 57 percent from the field (eighth in PSAC).
Ridgeway has been electric off the bench for KU in the first five games of the season. He is third on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game, which ranks third among all PSAC bench players, and leads the team with 17 assists. Ridgeway has scored in double-digits in three games thus far and had a season-high six assists in a win over Cheyney.
Austin Beidelman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) is averaging 9.6 points on 48 percent shooting and a career-best 89 percent from the line (third in PSAC). He is second on the team in assists with 15 and is tied for the team-lead with six steals.
Senior forward
Anthony Selby (Jersey City, N.J./Williamstown (Burlington County CC)) has been a force on defense for the Golden Bears with a team-high 12 blocked shots (fourth in PSAC). He is averaging 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds on 62 percent shooting from the field.
Pitt-Johnstown (6-2, 3-1) heads into Friday's matchup on a four-game win streak. It defeated Seton Hill on Tuesday and has scored 90 or more points in five of its eight games this season. A.J. Leahey leads the Mountain Cats in scoring at 18.8 points per game (sixth in PSAC) and rebounding at 8.5 per game (ninth in PSAC).
Indiana (Pa.) (5-3, 2-2) has won three straight games, including a 72-61 victory over Gannon on Tuesday. The Crimson Hawks are led by Brandon Norflett, who is averaging 20.1 points (fourth in PSAC) and 4.1 assists (fifth in PSAC).
