KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team used a break-through second half to distance itself and pull away for an 84-64 win against Seton Hill University Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action.
 
Leading by six at halftime, the Golden Bears (8-1 overall, 4-1 PSAC) outscored the Griffins (3-6, 1-4) 45-31 as they were able to push the pace and wear down a depleted Seton Hill roster (suiting up just eight players) on their way to the 20-point victory.
 
It is the sixth straight win for KU and third in a row in the PSAC. With East Stroudsburg University (7-1, 4-1)'s loss to Gannon Saturday, West Chester University (8-0, 5-0) is the lone unbeaten at the top of the PSAC East Division standings.
 
Head coach Bernie Driscoll played all 12 players that suited up for the Maroon and Gold, and every one of them entered the game in the first half.
 
KU received contributions in the score column from 10 of the 12 players, led by 23 points from redshirt-junior Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) and 21 from senior Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin).
 
The Griffins were missing eight players because of an altercation in their last game against the Golden Rams last weekend. So Driscoll knew fatigue may come in to play and decided it was best to use his depth to tire-out Seton Hill.
 
The game remained close, however, for all of the first half and early on in the second half, as the Griffins shot 43.8 percent from the field in the first half, compared to 43.6 percent for Kutztown, and trailed by just six (39-33) at halftime.
 
In the second half, KU got up-and-down the court and used the speed of its guards to push the pace. But the game was won down low. Kutztown outrebounded Seton Hill 51-31 and had every post player contribute.
 
Redshirt-freshman Moe Williams (Townsend, Del./Life Center Academy) had his first career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. It is the second consecutive game that a KU player has recorded his first career double-double, with sophomore Josh Townsend (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) tallying 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Bowie State last Wednesday, Dec. 6. Townsend finished the game Saturday with four points and eight rebounds in his fourth career start.
 
Freshman Joseph O'Brien (Abington, Pa./Abington) had career-highs in points (eight) and rebounds (four), including two dunks that fired up his teammates and the crowd inside Keystone Arena. Sophomores Max Wagner (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) (five points, eight rebounds) and Oenis Medina (Reading, Pa./Reading (Shippensburg)) (three rebounds, one block) also gave Driscoll valuable minutes inside.
 
Kutztown went on an 18-5 run early in the second half to break away from Seton Hill, as the two teams traded baskets for a majority of the final 10:00.
 
Freshman Kiyon Hardy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Shipley School) tied his career-high with six points on 2-of-2 shooting from 3-point range. He added two assists and two steals. Demetrius Bennett (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Neumann)), Rafiq Marshall (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz (Cheyney)) and Ricky Hicks (Coatesville, Pa./Polytech) all added two points each in the victory.
 
Lee had two steals in the game, bringing his total to 25 on the season, tops in the PSAC. He has had at least two steals in every game this season but one, the game at Jefferson Nov. 28 when he had zero. Lee has also scored in double-figures all nine games this season.
 
Ridgeway dished out six assists and has 531 in his career, two shy of reaching 12th all-time in PSAC history. He also has 973 career points, and is 27 away from joining Lee in the 1,000 point club.
 
Kutztown is off until after Christmas. It will take on West Chester on the road Saturday, Dec. 30 at 3 p.m.