Mansfield no match for Van Wagner, Golden Bears

Kutztown Golden Bears 63
Mansfield Mountaineers 49

Recap: The Golden Bears erased a three game losing streak by taking care of business in Mansfield on Wednesday evening. KU allowed the Mounties to keep the game close early on, leading by only two at the half, but the ladies pulled away early in the second frame fueled by a 9-0 run. Four Golden Bears scored in double figures with Melissa McQuade leading the way with 13. Lara Dellegrotti and Katie Dovey (pictured) added 12, while Mercedes Van Wagner scored 11.

Telling Stat: The Golden Bears were on fire, outshooting the Mounties by 20 percent on the evening. KU shot 47 percent from the floor, while Mansfield hit just 27 percent of their shots. That margin was the clear difference in the game. Also of note was a 2-of-9 shooting day from MU’s leading scorer, Alicia Espigh. The PSAC leader in three pointers made was held without an attempt from beyond the arc and scored just 8 points, four of which came from the free throw line.

Key moment: As mentioned, this game was tight throughout the first 22 minutes, but KU was able to pull ahead early in the second half. Up two points with 17:55 to play, KU recorded a 9-0 run which was fueled by a Dellegrotti three pointer, back to back buckets by McQuade and Dovey, and a three point play by Van Wagner.

Most Valuable Golden Bear: For the second time in as many tries this season, Van Wagner notched a double-double against the Mountaineers. Last evening, the senior scored 11 points and hauled in a game-high 14 boards. She was 4-of-6 from the floor, 3-of-3 from the charity stripe, and had 4 blocks. As mentioned in my preview for this game, Van Wagner should be relied on if KU hopes to climb back into the playoff race. She certainly did the job last night against the Mounties.

Least Valuable Golden Bear: I hate to give out this award following a win, but there is always someone who had a rough day. Last evening it was freshman Meredith Starr, who has struggled during divisional play. Starr was 0-of-3 from the floor, recording 0 points, 1 assist, and 1 turnover in 14 minutes of work. The freshman has now failed to hit a field goal in three straight games, shooting 0-of-12 from the floor for a total of 3 points. In that time, coach Malouf has allowed her a mind-blowing average playing time of 25 minutes per game.

Impact: The game was a must win for KU and they certainly came through. The Golden Bears are now 3-5 in the PSAC East, which is still not quite enough to put them in one of the top 4 playoff spots. They have Bloomsburg next before taking on Millersville, Cheyney, and East Stroudsburg. Bloomsburg should be an easy win, while Millersville won’t be an easy task. Fortunately for KU, they get to play CU and ESU, the two teams just ahead of them for the final playoff spot, in the season’s final two games. Wins in both, and possibly one, of those games would send them to the postseason.