EDINBORO, Pa. – Senior Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) had himself a day. He recorded his 1,000th career point, and followed that up with a game-winning, step-back jumper with under 0:01 left to help the Kutztown University men's basketball team to a 91-89 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) victory at McComb Field House at Edinboro University Saturday afternoon.
 
With the score tied at 89-89 and 0:08 left on the clock, Ridgeway took a pass near midcourt. He took a few dribbles and then unleashed a crossover that gave him separation from the defender. One step to the right and he rose for a jump shot.
 
Nothing but net.
 
Ironically, the two points near the buzzer were as important to his team as two points he netted late in the first half.
 
With 4:07 left in the first half, Ridgeway was fouled on his way to the basket and connected on the layup. The shot gave him 1,000 points for his career, becoming just the 27th player in program history to reach the milestone, and the second KU player to do so this season, joining redshirt-junior Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington).
 
Ridgeway ended his day with 18 points and 14 assists, giving him 558 assists in his career, ninth all-time in PSAC history.
 
The Golden Bears (10-2 overall, 6-2 PSAC) have seven wins in games decided by 10 points or less this season. They gave the PSAC West Division's top team its first loss at home this season, as the Fighting Scots dropped to 9-3, 6-2.
 
Lee, who finished with a team-high 25 points, wasted little time in opening up the scoring. He streaked towards the hoop and finished off a layup with just 0:04 ticking off the clock. It is the quickest that a KU player has scored to open a game since Nate Edwards recorded points 0:03 in back on March 1, 2011 against East Stroudsburg University.
 
Lee and Ridgeway played all 40 minutes, the fourth time this season for Lee and first for Ridgeway.
 
Both teams shot well from behind the arc in the first half, with Kutztown going 2-of-3 (66.7%) and Edinboro 7-of-12 (58.3%). One 3-pointer from a little bit further away gave the Fighting Scots some momentum going into half, as Jaryn Simpson hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to put Edinboro back in front for the first time since the 14:20 mark as the teams headed to the locker rooms at 40-38.
 
Junior Dan Cuevas (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) had 12 of his 17 points in the first half to pace the Maroon and Gold.
 
In the second half, Lee and Ridgeway took over. Lee tallied 22 of his 25 points and Ridgeway had 11 of his 18, including the last eight KU points.
 
With the Fighting Scots ahead 83-80 and 1:50 remaining, Max Wagner (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) and Ridgeway both connected on three-point plays in back-to-back possessions. Ridgeway's gave KU an 86-85 lead with 1:13 to go.
 
Then Anthony Coleman and Ridgeway traded baskets. When PSAC's leading scorer Keshawn Liggins missed a jumper with 0:33 left, Moe Williams (Townsend, Del./Life Center Academy) collected the rebound and found Ridgeway, who was fouled.
 
He connected on 1-of-2 from the free-throw line for an 89-87 KU lead and 0:28 to go.
 
Jaymon Mason came down the other end and tied the game at 89 with 0:15 left on the clock.
 
Head coach Bernie Driscoll called timeout once Ridgeway crossed half court. And on the ensuing inbounds, Ridgeway stepped up and hit a shot that gave his team an important road win.
 
Wagner finished with 11 points. Williams had eight points and eight rebounds and Rafiq Marshall (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz (Cheyney)) tallied seven points and two rebounds. Ricky Hicks (Coatesville, Pa./Polytech) contributed four points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field.
 
Kutztown has won two straight, and will return to the court on Monday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. against Shippensburg University at Keystone Arena.