Slow start spoils upset bid

Kutztown Golden Bears 43
Millersville Marauders 56

Recap: Millersville opened the game by taking a 15-0 lead and led by as many as 22 in the first half en route a PSAC East victory over KU on Wednesday. The Golden Bears climbed to within 9 points in the early stages of the second half, but the Marauders, now 9-0 in the PSAC East, held on for the 13 point victory. KU is now 11-14 overall this season.

Telling Stat: The game was fairly even once the Golden Bears gave the Marauders a 15 point handicap. Had the first 8 minutes of the game not counted, KU certainly could have pulled off the upset. With that said, the most telling stat of the evening was the Golden Bears shooting percentage of just 14% (3-of-21) in the first half. Not to be discounted is KU’s 27 turnovers, 20 of which were forced by MU steals.

Key moment: The quick 15-0 MU run might seem like the obvious key series of the game, but the truth is that KU had a chance to come back. With 17:56 left in the second half, Mercedes Van Wagner dropped in a layup to cut the KU deficit to 9. That was as close as the Golden Bears would get, however, as the Marauders answered with a 7-2 run to all but put the game away. KU wouldn’t get any closer than 12 the rest of the way.

Most Valuable Golden Bear: Chauntelle Schroeder has been anything but a regular in the KU lineup this season, but she has to be earning Coach Malouf’s confidence as of late. Last evening, Schroeder scored a career-high 13 points, hauled in 5 boards, and recorded 2 blocks. She was 3-of-4 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. She has had some foul troubles in her career, but committed just one last night. The most impressive stat you ask? She played just 8 minutes! Do the math. If she played 24 minutes (near the average for a KU center), she was on pace to score 39 points and haul in 15 boards. Sure, she would’ve dropped off from her pace in all likelihood, but damn, I hope you were watching Malouf. Schroeder has proved she has the size and athleticism to cause problems for opposing defenses.

Least Valuable Golden Bear: There are a few players who played poorly last night, but the one that stands out the most in the boxscore is Vivian Melvin. The sophomore was 0-for-5 from the floor and scored just 2 points in 22 minutes of work. She had two steals, but failed to chip in with an assist, a must for guards in this offense.

Impact: The loss, coupled with East Stroudsburg’s win over Bloomsburg last night, drops KU back out of the top 4 in the PSAC East. KU is now 4-6 in the division, one-half game behind the 4-5 Warriors. Left on the schedule is Cheyney and ESU. KU may need to beat Cheyney, but definitely must beat ESU if they hope to be playoff bound. Look for a more in depth outlook on the playoffs later.