KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The No. 5 Kutztown University men's basketball team is entering this weekend's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Final Four, hosted by Indiana University (PA) at the Kovalchick Complex, on the heels of one of its best performances of the season.
 
KU (25-2, 20-2 PSAC) defeated West Chester 114-93 in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night, recording the fifth-most points in program history to advance to the PSAC Final Four for the second time in three years and the sixth time in program history. The Golden Bears are 4-1 all-time in the Semifinals but will be looking to win their first-ever PSAC Championship.
 
Kutztown, the one-seed in the PSAC East, will take on Gannon, the two-seed in the PSAC West, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 in the first game of the Final Four's doubleheader. The second matchup will follow and features two top-13 teams in No. 2 Indiana (PA), the top-seed in the PSAC West, and No. 13 Shippensburg, the two-seed in the PSAC East. The winners of the two contests will meet the following day in Sunday's 3 p.m. Championship.
 
TICKETS: For fans traveling to Indiana, ticket prices are $12 for adults, $7 for children, while KU students are admitted free with school ID. Tickets are available to be purchased online at www.IUPTIX.com, or by phone at 1-800-514-3849, however, fans should expect increased ticket prices when purchased online due to service fees and taxes. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets at the box office at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
A winner of 17 in a row, KU will be in search of its 18th straight win against Gannon, which would match the 100-year-old school record set by the 1916-17 team, who went a perfect 18-0. A victory would also give the Maroon and Gold their 26th win of the season, which would move the 2016-17 team into sole possession of second place in program history for most victories in a season.
 
Kutztown's 17-game win streak is currently the third-longest in all of Division II. The Golden Bears were ranked third in the NCAA's final Atlantic Region Rankings that were released yesterday. The rankings determine the eight teams from the Atlantic Region that will be part of the NCAA Tournament field, which will be revealed on Sunday, March 5 at 10:30 p.m. just hours after the PSAC Championship game.
 
Gannon (18-9, 15-7) advanced to Saturday's Semifinal after defeating Pitt-Johnstown 77-67 on Saturday for its second straight win. The Golden Knights had previously lost two in a row to close out the regular season.
 
Gannon is the top rebounding team in the PSAC, outrebounding opponents by a margin of 8.9 boards per game. The Golden Knights are also top-four in the league in both 3-point percentage (.391) and assists per game (17.2).

KU and Gannon have met twice all-time in the PSAC Tournament, with both meetings hosted by the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights most recently defeated the Maroon and Gold at home in the 2015 Semifinals. They were also victorious when the two teams met in the 2009 Championship.
 
Kutztown won the previous meeting, defeating Gannon 80-49 on Jan. 3, 2016.
 
No. 2 Indiana (27-2, 21-1) is one of the two teams with a longer current win streak than KU, as the Crimson Hawks have won 18 in a row after beating defending PSAC Tournament Champion Mercyhurst 69-53 in the Quarterfinals. IUP has not lost since Dec. 19, when it fell to current No. 1 Fairmont State.
 
Indiana is efficient on both halves of the court, holding opponents to the second-fewest points per game, 66.5, and third-lowest 3-point percentage, .339, in the PSAC, while also ranking in the top-four of the conference in both field goal percentage (.470) and free throw percentage (.774).

KU and Indiana met earlier in the year in a top-12 showdown at the Kovalchick Complex on Dec. 4, and the game did not disappoint. The Crimson Hawks handed the Golden Bears one of their two losses on the season, 71-70, with a go-ahead, game-winning layup with just 0.1 seconds remaining.
 
The two teams have also met twice previously in the PSAC Tournament, with both meetings coming in the Championship. The Crimson Hawks came away victorious on both occasions, in 2004 and 2010, at a neutral site.
 
Indiana will be taking on one of the two teams that beat them this season in No. 13 Shippensburg (24-3, 19-3), who advanced to the Semifinals with an impressive 85-71 win over East Stroudsburg – the No. 10 team in the Atlantic Region. The Raiders have responded from their first two losses of the season by winning five of their previous six.
 
Statistically, Shippensburg is one of the most impressive teams in the PSAC as it leads the league in scoring margin (+15.0), field goal percentage defense (.416), 3-pointers per game (10.0), 3-point percentage defense (.285) and free throw percentage (.788). The Raiders are also top-five in six other categories.
 
If KU and Shippensburg are to meet on Sunday, it will be the third time they meet this season. Each team won on the other's home floor. It would also be the third consecutive year that they face off in the PSAC Tournament, with both meetings having been hosted in Keystone Arena. The Maroon and Gold were victorious in the 2015 First Round before the Raiders got revenge in the 2016 Quarterfinals.