MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team traveled to Pucilio Gymnasium for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division meeting with the Millersville Marauders, who came out on top, 85-67, on Wednesday night.
The Golden Bears (5-10, 2-8 PSAC) were stuck battling another team entrenched in a race for postseason seeding, as the Marauders (12-6, 7-4 PSAC) excelled on both sides of the ball with efficient shooting from the field and 13 total steals – nine in the first half alone – on the defensive end to drive away its opponent.
The Marauders jetted off to a 13-3 lead in the first half, enabling them to hold a lead they would never relinquish. While the Golden Bears were able to spread the floor and get a number of different scorers involved in the game against Bloomsburg on Saturday, Millersville took note of that and eliminated any possibility of a repeat performance from the KU offense.
The Golden Bears were able to turn up the tempo five minutes into the second half, but the Marauders' scorers were able to go punch-for-punch and keep everything stable between the two teams. It used a lull in the game to trim the lead with an 8-1 run just moments later, but Millersville bounced back to extend its lead out to 22 points on the way to its 12th win of the season.
Millersville transfer
Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) returned to his former stomping grounds, leading his team with 19 points and 12 rebounds to secure his sixth double-double of the season. The senior captain is one of just two players in the conference to average a double-double on the season, as he entered the game averaging 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Omari Banks (Middletown, Del./The Phelps School (Pa.)) finished with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting a team-best 50 percent from the floor.
Yahmir Satterfield (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) dropped ten points in his third consecutive double-digit scoring effort and tenth of the season.
The Marauders, who have now won four of its last five games, were led in most facets of the game by guard Day Waters, who tallied 28 points, nine rebounds, and five steals on an efficient shooting night.
Kutztown finishes its week on the road, traveling to West Virginia to face Shepherd at Butcher Athletic Center on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. It will return home to host three straight games at Keystone Arena, with the first set for Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. against East Stroudsburg.
