Live Stats | Video KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The Kutztown University men's basketball team hopes to continue its hot shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. as it takes on West Chester University in a highly-anticipated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup between two of the top teams in the conference at Hollinger Field House.
Kutztown (13-4, 10-3 PSAC East) heads into the matchup with wins in four of its last six games, including a 103-75 victory over Mansfield on Wednesday, Jan. 20. KU was electrifying on offense, shooting 55 percent from the field. Junior
Howard Sellars (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area (Saint Peter's)) had the best game of his career, shooting 7-of-8 from the field, including an incredible 7-of-7 from 3-point range, which is the most makes in KU history without a miss in a single game. He had a career-high 25 points in just 20 minutes of action.
West Chester (16-2, 12-2) has won its last four games and nine of the previous 10. It defeated Lock Haven University on Saturday, Jan. 23, by a score of 78-74. West Chester is third in the PSAC in scoring offense at 82.4 points per game and has scored 80 or more points this season 12 times.
The Golden Rams have won six of the last 10 games against Kutztown, including two of three last season. KU was victorious against the Golden Rams in the 2015 PSAC quarterfinals, 90-79, in overtime.
Kutztown has displayed one of the best offenses in the PSAC this season. It is second in the conference with 85.9 points per game and is fifth in field goal percentage at 47.4 percent. KU has also stepped up on the defensive end, ranking third in field goal percentage defense at 40.9 percent. The Golden Bears also rank second in both rebounding and assists per game.
KU has scored 80 or more points on nine occasions this season and has gone over the 100-point mark four times.
West Chester is fourth in the PSAC in defensive field goal percentage at 41 percent and lead the conference in defending the 3-pointer, holding the opposition to a 30.6 percent clip from downtown. The Golden Rams also lead the PSAC with 43.2 rebounds per game and are second in 3-point percentage at 39.2 percent.
Malik Jackson leads the Golden Rams in scoring at 15.2 points per game to go along with 43 3-pointers. Matt Wiseley is second on the team with 12.1 points per game and leads West Chester with 11.4 rebounds a game (second in PSAC). Avery Brown is averaging 10.8 points per game, while Mike Wilson is West Chester's top-scorer off the bench at 10.2 points a game.
Jackson and
Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) are two of the top freshmen in the PSAC this season with each earning three PSAC Eastern Division Freshman of the Week honors.
Kutztown has had a very balanced scoring attack this season with nine players averaging six or more points per game. KU has seven players shooting over 50 percent from the field and four shooting better than 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Junior forward
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) leads KU with 13.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds a game (fifth in PSAC). He has six double-doubles and has scored in double-figures 13 times.
Lee has been an integral part of KU's success this season. He is up to 12.9 points per game and is one of the most efficient players in the PSAC. He is shooting 60 percent from the field, 49 percent from downtown and 90 percent from the free-throw line (second in PSAC). He leads KU with 25 steals (17th in PSAC) and has scored in double-figures 11 times, including 15 or more points in each of the previous six games.
Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) is third on KU with 12.8 points per game and leads the team with 38 3-pointers (10th in PSAC). He has hit a 3-pointer in 15 of his 16 games played and is fifth in PSAC in free-throw percentage at 87 percent.
Guards
Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) and
Austin Beidelman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) have been KU's leaders in assists for most of the season. Ridgeway leads the team with 66 assists and is fourth with 9.0 points per game, while Beidelman has 63 assists and is averaging 8.6 points per game.
Starting forward
Anthony Selby (Jersey City, N.J./Williamstown (Burlington County CC)) is one of the top defenders in the PSAC with 13 steals and a team-high 27 blocks (third in PSAC). He is averaging 7.1 points per game and is fourth on KU with 4.3 rebounds a game.
Frontcourt players
Will Adams (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep (McMurry)) and
Dan Cuevas (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) have both been productive off the bench for Kutztown. Adams has appeared in nine games, averaging 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. Cuevas has played in all 17 games with averages of 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Sellars will be looked to as a potential sparkplug off the bench for Kutztown following his career-high 25 points last week. He upped his scoring average to 4.6 points and is third on KU with 16 3-pointers.
