Saturday Update

Both the women's and men's teams were victorious on Saturday night, knocking off the struggling Bloomsburg Huskies in both games.

The women opened the evening with a 66-56 win to improve to 15-4 overall this season, which includes a 5-1 PSAC East record.

The men followed with an 88-63 thrashing of the Huskies, which improves their overall record to 16-3 and their divisional record to 5-1.

Men prepare for Huskies

P.S.A.C East Men’s Basketball
1/31/2009 @ Keystone Hall
Bloomsburg Huskies (4-14, 1-4)
@ Kutztown Golden Bears (15-3, 4-1)

Radio: Golden Bear Network on www.kubears.com
(Mike Clay/Jimmie Johnson/Tyler Schueck)

The Golden Bears come into the game at 15-3 overall this season, which includes a 4-1 record in the P.S.A.C. East. Kutztown has won 4 straight and 6 of its last 7 games. The Golden Bears recent win streak included an 88-65 win at home against Millersville, an 85-69 home win against Mansfield, a close 69-68 win at Shippensburg, and finally, a 97-71 thrashing at West Chester on Wednesday.

The Golden Bears recent win steak has moved them into a tie with Cheyney for the top spot in the PSAC East at 4-1. East Stroudsburg, West Chester, and Mansfield follow at 3-2. Shippensburg at 2-3, Bloomsburg at 1-4, and Millersville at 0-5, round out the division.

The Huskies, as mentioned, have just one divisional win and are 4-14 overall this season. Their latest action was a 60-58 loss at home to Shippensburg on Thursday.

The Golden Bears came up victorious in both meetings between the teams last season. Kutztown won by a score of 67-52 on the road before taking care of business at home by a score of 97-68.

Probable Starters:
Bloomsburg:
So - C- # 50 – Marko Vucajnk
So - F- # 43 – Michael Varanavage
Sr - F- # 32 – Bryson Mills
Fr - G- # 20 – Jesse Betar
Fr - G- # 12 – Mark Wartman

Bloomsburg is coached by John Sanow. He is assisted by Mark Prusch and student assistants Michael Hamlin and Buddy Rose

Kutztown:
Sr - C- # 44 – Mark Bower
So - F- # 52 – Ryan Washington
Sr - G- # 34 – Dave Ben
Sr - G- # 24 – Andre Woodlin
Jr - G- # 14 – Stephen Dennis

Kutztown is coached by Bernie Driscoll. He is assisted by Tom York, Rich Hicks, and Andre Coles.

Ladies set to host slumping Huskies

P.S.A.C East Women’s Basketball
1/31/2009 @ Keystone Hall
Bloomsburg Huskies (8-10, 0-5)
@ Kutztown Golden Bears (14-4, 5-1)

Radio: Golden Bear Network on www.kubears.com
(Mike Clay/Jimmie Johnson/Tyler Schueck)

The Golden Bears come into the game at 14-4 overall this season, which includes a 4-1 record in the P.S.A.C. East. Kutztown has won 5 of its last 6 games, including a win at the then-division-leading West Chester Golden Rams 67-60 on Wednesday.

That win over West Chester moved Kutztown to a three way tie with the Golden Rams and the Red Raiders of Shippensburg atop the PSAC East. Each team sports a 4-1 record. Cheyney and Millersville are each 3-2 in the division, while East Stroudsburg sits at 2-3. Mansfield and today’s opponent, Bloomsburg, sit in the basement at 0-5.

Bloomsburg, as mentioned, has yet to win a game in divisional play and is 8-10 overall this season. The Huskies latest action was a 57-50 loss at home to Shippensburg on Thursday. Despite their disappointing 0-5 record, the Huskies have been competitive for the most part in divisional play. Two of their losses were by 1 point in overtime, while two others were by less than 10 points.

The Golden Bears came up victorious in both meetings between the teams last season. Kutztown won by a score of 71-52 on the road before taking care of business at home by a score of 76-56.

Probable Starters:
Bloomsburg:
Sr - C- # 25 – Colleen Kegerreis
So – F- # 23 – Niemah Brooks
Fr - G- # 13 – Kelsey Gallagher
Sr - G- # 20 – Kelly Joyce
Sr - G- # 21 – Lauren Healy

Bloomsburg is coached by Bill Cleary and he is assisted by Diane Decker, Jennifer Cughan, and Sy Fulton

Kutztown:
Jr - C- # 33 – Chauntelle Schroeder
So - F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
Jr – F - # 32 – Katie Dovey
Jr - G- # 11 – Rachel Wisemiller
So - G- # 13 – Meredith Starr

Kutztown is coached by Janet Malouf and the assistant coach is Steve Hahn.

1/28: KU 97, West Chester 71

As if he hasn't done enough over the past few weeks, David Ben stole the show again on Wednesday, scoring a career high in points (36), while nailing a school single game record 8 three pointers.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Ben 31.1 - Scored a career high with 36 points on 12-of-16 shooting, which included a school record 8 three points (on only 9 shots). Also had 7 assists in the big win.
2. Woodlin 20.4 - Added to the scoring barrage, shooting 10-of-13 for 24 points, 3 dimes, 3 steals
3. Washington 15.4 - 5-of-8 for 13 points, 5 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
4. Gray 5.1 - 2-of-6 for 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
5. Coffey 4.3 - 4 points, 2 boards, 1 dime in 8 minutes
6. Dennis 4.2 - A surprisingly mediocre game for the West Chester native: 4-of-8 for 9 points, 3 assists, 3 boards
7. White 2.6 - Managed 3 points, a rebound, and a foul in 5 minutes
8. Bower 2.1 - 1-for-3 for 2 points, 2 steals, 1 assist in 28 minutes
9. Vrabel 0.7 - 1 minute of work, 1 assist
10. Ford-Bey 0.3 - Only a rebound in 1 minute
11. Coombs -0.4 - Missed shot and rebound in 4 minutes

Inactive:
Wenner

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

1/28: KU 67, West Chester 60

Melissa McQuade was dominant in Wednesday's 67-60 victory at West Chester, scoring 17 points and hauling in 12 boards.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. McQuade 20.7 - It's nice to see the first huge game from McQuade in quite a while as she was 5-of-7 for 17 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals
2. Dovey 14.9 - I said it last year and I'll say it again: Aggressive players like Schroeder and Dovey are a recipe for success in the PSAC. Dovey was huge again last night, scoring a team-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go with 5 boards, 3 steals
3. Wisemiller 6.6 - 6-of-15 shooting for 17 points and 3 rebounds
4. Starr 3.5 - 2-of-9 for 6 points, 6 assists. Single-season assist record update: If she continues to average 4.94 a game, that would leave her 15 assists short at the end of the regular season. The further KU goes, the better her chances.
5. Schroeder 2.5 - Not her best effort, but still was productive: 4-of-14 for 9 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal
6. Mertz 1.3 - Block, dime, foul, rebound in 5 minutes
7. Melvin 0.1 - Back out of the starting lineup and back to mediocrity: Failed to score on 3 shots, had 3 boards, 3 assists, and 3 fouls
8. Greaves -2.0 - Continues to struggle, turning it over twice in 3 minutes
9. LeVan -2.4 - Missed two shots and turned it over once in 2 minutes

Inactives:
Dellegrotti - Injured (Head)

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Wednesday Update

The KU basketball teams were in action at PSAC East rival West Chester on Wednesday evening.

The ladies pulled off a huge 67-60 win over the Golden Rams and move into a tie with West Chester for the lead in the PSAC East. Both teams divisional records sit at 4-1.

The men's team also came away with a win against the Golden Rams, taking it by a score of 97-71, improving to 4-1 in PSAC East play.

Both teams now sit atop the PSAC East standings the midway point of divisional play approaches.

Full recaps on Thursday.

Ben's Big Night

Against Mansfield at Keystone Hall on January 21, Dave Ben became the Kutztown University men's basketball all-time leading scorer. Here are a few photographs from that evening. As always, they were taken by Tony Vasquez.

1/24: KU 69, Shippensburg 68

It wasn't easy, but the Golden Bears slipped by the Red Raiders on the road on Saturday.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Washington 15.6 - Another big all around day for the sophomore: 5-of-10 for 14 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, and 5 blocks. We could do without the 4 fouls, 4 turnovers
2. Ben 10.6 - Scored 20 points, but on 20 shots! Also added 8 boards, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals
3. Bower 9.8 - Played 34 minutes in this one, scoring 8 points and grabbing 8 boards
4. Woodlin 7.3 - 5-of-13 for 14 points, 6 boards, 3 steals
5. Dennis 5.7 - Scored 11 points on 9 shots and grabbed 10 rebounds before fouling out
6. Coombs 1.3 - Scored and had a rebound in 4 minutes
7. Coffey -0.3 - 2 boards, 2 turnovers highlighted 8 minutes of work
8. Gray -1.6 - Missed shot, rebound, and 4 fouls in 13 minutes

Inactives:
White
Vrabel
Wenner
Ford-Bey

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

1/24: KU 60, Shippensburg 71

Like a wise man once said, one picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, the number shown most in this photograph was responsible for Shippensburg's 71-60 victory on Saturday as the Red Raiders nailed a ridiculous 14 three pointers.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Wisemiller 12.5 - 14 points, 4 steals, 3 dimes, and, as always, a single block
2. Schroeder 11.0 - Hit 7 of her team-high 14 shots for a team-best 16 points to go with 5 boards, 2 steals, and 3 assists
3. McQuade 9.3 - Missed another double-double by a rebound: 11 points, 9 boards
4. Starr 5.6 - 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and a 4:1 assist:turnover ratio
5. Melvin 5.2 - Another solid game as a starter: 6-of-13 for 15 points, 4 boards, 3 assists.
6. Dovey 0.6 - Still working her away back from injury: 0-for-3, 3 boards, assist, block
7. Mertz -0.1 - 2 fouls, block in 9 minutes
8. Greaves -1.9 -An ugly 4 minutes: 2 missed threes and 2 fouls
9. LeVan -3.1 - Ouch, again. 0-for-3 and a turnover in 5 minutes

Inactives:
Dellegrotti - Injured (Head)

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Saturday Update

The women's basketball team suffered a hard luck loss at Shippensburg on Saturday afternoon by a score of 71-60. Despite erasing an 18 point halftime deficit, the Golden Bears could not overcome a ridiculous 14 made three pointers by the Red Raiders. Kutztown drops to 3-1 in the PSAC East, while Shippensburg improves to 3-1.

The men's team won 69-68 against the Red Raiders and improve to 3-1 in the PSAC East.

1/21: KU 85, Mansfield 69

David Ben is shown here hitting a free throw with 1:36 left to play on Wednesday evening. The point, coupled with another one seconds later, gives him 1,684 points for his career at Kutztown, which breaks the school record formerly held by Lock Jennings. Congratulations to Dave!

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Gray 16.4 - Ben's record stole the show, but Gray actually had the best all around game, hitting 5-of-9 shots (4-of-5 from long range) for 16 points, 2 boards, 4 assists, and a steal
2. Dennis 14.3 - Good outing for Dennis: 6-of-9 for 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
3. Ben 13.8 - 7-of-19 from the floor for 22 points, 1 of which broke KU's career scoring record, 2 boards, 2 steals, and 5 assists
4. Woodlin 12.0 - Hit 6 of his 13 shots for 15 points and also had 10 boards to complete the double-double.
5. Washington 10.7 - Another good effort for the power forward, who hit 7-of-10 shots for 15 points and 12 boards.
6. Bower 1.6 - Had 4 rebounds, but failed to score in 24 minutes
7. White 0.0 - Not much of an impact in 3 minutes
8. Vrabel 0.0 - Nothing doing in 2 minutes
9. Wenner -0.4 - Missed shot and rebound in 2 minutes
10. Coombs -0.5 - Scored once, but had a turnover and 3 (yes, three) fouls in 3 minutes
11. Coffey -0.8 - Missed shot, foul, turnover, steal, rebound in 8 minutes
12. Ford-Bey -1.0 - 2 minutes of work, 1 turnover to show for it

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

1/21: KU 61, Mansfield 59

Meredith Starr scored 9 points, hauled in 6 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists in Wednesday evening's victory over Mansfield.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. McQuade 14.2 - Scored 16 points (on 18 shots), had 4 assists, 2 blocks, and a whopping 16 rebounds, including 7 on the offensive end.
2. Melvin 12.2 - Another start, another outstanding performance: 3-of-7 from the floor for 8 points, 7 boards, 2 steals, and 6 assists. Oh, and we can't forget the game-winning layup.
3. Wisemiller 11.4 - A fantastic shooting day for Wisemiller, who hit 8-of-13 shots for a game-high 18 points, while also adding 4 rebounds and 2 steals
4. Starr 9.0 - A solid game for Starr, who finally got back in the assist groove: 9 points, 6 boards, 7 assists
5. Schroeder 7.9 - Missed a few easy shots early on, but bounced back with a solid 5-for-11 shooting day to go with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
6. Mertz -0.4 - 2 rebounds and a block were the highlights of her 8 minutes of work
7. Greaves -1.5 - Missed 2 shots and committed a foul in 5 minutes
8. Dovey -2.0 - Played only 1 minute off the bench in her return from injury and turned it over twice
9. LeVan -2.7 - Missed a shot and turned it over twice in 5 minutes

Inactives:
Dellegrotti - Injured (Head)

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Wednesday Update

The women's basketball team came back in the second half to defeat Mansfield 61-59 on Wednesday evening. The Golden Bears improve to 3-0 in the PSAC East and are 13-3 overall this season.

The men's team also came away with a win against the Mounties, taking the nightcap 85-69. In the win, Dave Ben set the KU career scoring record. The men also improve to 13-3 overall this season and are 2-1 in divisional play.

Recaps will be up on Thursday.

Ladies look to avoid letdown

P.S.A.C East Women’s Basketball 1/21/2009
Mansfield Mountaineers (4-11, 0-2) @ Kutztown Golden Bears (12-3, 2-0)
Keystone Hall
Golden Bear Network on www.kubears.com - Mike Clay/Joe Balco

The Golden Bears come into the game at 12-3 overall this season, which includes a 2-0 record against P.S.A.C. East opponents. They are currently on a three game winning streak, which includes the two P.S.A.C East victories, both of which will likely prove to be huge wins once the playoff chatter begins in about a month.

A week ago today, the Golden Bears opened up divisional play with a 54-49 victory at East Stroudsburg. This past Saturday, in what was their most recent action, Kutztown ended a 15 game draught to Millersville, defeating them 60-56 right here at Keystone Hall. Both Lara Dellegrotti and Katie Dovey were inactive in that game and both are unlikely to play here tonight.

Meanwhile, the Mounties enter this game dead last in the PSAC East with a record of 4-11, which includes an 0-2 mark in the PSAC East. Mansfield opened divisional play last Wednesday with an 80-69 loss at home to Shippensburg before falling on the road to Cheyney 65-49 on Saturday.

Last season, the Mounties struggled to a 1-11 record in the PSAC East and were 6-21 overall. Kutztown, on the other hand, was 11-16 a year ago, which included a 4-8 record in the PSAC East.

The Golden Bears came up victorious in both meetings between the teams last season. Kutztown took care of business at home by a score of 59-51 before taking the second meeting 63-49.

Probable Starters:
Mansfield:
Fr - F- # 10 – Mallory Moore
Fr - F- # 52 – Rebecca Pollack
Sr - G- # 34 – Clarissa Correll
Sr - G- # 25 – Alicia Espiph
Fr - G- # 35 – Nicole Pender

Mansfield is coached by Ruth Hermansen and assisted by Ryan Van Noy

Kutztown:
Jr - C- # 33 – Chauntelle Schroeder
So - F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
Jr – G - #41 – Vivian Melvin
Jr - G- # 11 – Rachel Wisemiller
So - G- # 13 – Meredith Starr

KU is coached by Janet Malouf and the assistant coach is Steve Hahn.

1/17: KU 88, Millersville 65

It wasn't the tough Millersville squad we're used to seeing, but it always feels good to see Ryan Washington and company get a win over the rival Marauders.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Washington 18.5 - You could make a case that Washington has been this teams most consistent/all around best player this season...and he's only a sophomore! On Saturday, he was 6-of-8 for 16 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals.
2. Woodlin 17.7 - What a shooting day! Woodlin was 8-of-11 for 18 points and also chipped in 4 assists, 4 boards, and 2 steals.
3. Dennis 16.9 - You know your team is playing well when it's leading scorer comes in third in this list. Dennis paved the way in the scoring department with 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting.
4. Ben 12.2 - Similar to my point about Dennis, it's really amazing to see the only player on the team who recored a double-double fourth on this list. Ben had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting and also contributed 12 rebounds and 4 assists.
5. Bower 6.4 - Failed to hit a field goal, but had 4 rebounds, 3 points, 1 assist, and a whopping 5 steals.
6. Gray 2.3 - Only played 11 minutes in this one, hitting 1-of-3 shots for 3 points
7. Coombs 0.2 - Missed a shot and 2 free throws, but did grab 3 rebounds in 7 minutes
8. Coffey 0.0 - Nothing in the boxscore in 5 minutes
9. Vrabel 0.0 - Nothing doing in 4 minutes
10. Ford-Bey 0.0 - Only 1 minute of work for the freshman
11. Wenner -0.1 - 2 boards and a missed shot in 2 minutes
12. White -0.1 - Hit his only shot in the game, but had 2 fouls and a turnover in 5 minutes

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

1/17: KU 60, Millersville 56

With Katie Dovey and Lara Dellegrotti on the shelf with injuries, Vivian Melvin [Pictured] was called on to step into the starting lineup and boy did she respond. An offensive sparkplug in the win, Melvin ended with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. The victory ended a 15 game losing streak to Millersville and vaults KU to a 2-0 divisional record.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Schroeder 11.8 - Only 3-of-10 from the field, but hit all 10 of her free throws en route to a 16 point, 7 rebound evening.
2. Wisemiller 9.1 - Shot 50 percent in this one, nailing 6-of-12 shots for 16 points and 6 boards
3. Melvin 9.0 - Melvin was inserted into the starting lineup with Dellegrotti and Dovey inactive and boy did she respond. 5-of-9 from the field for 12 points to go with 5 boards and 4 assists
4. McQuade 3.7 - Hasn't shot the ball well as of late, struggling to a 3-of-11 day from the floor for just 7 points. As always, she did damage anyways, hauling in 10 boards and assisting on 4 buckets.
5. Mertz 1.6 - Did a nice job, scoring once and grabbing 3 rebounds in 9 minutes
6. Starr 1.2 - Hit 2-of-9 shots for 7 points in 36 minutes of work, while grabbing 5 boards and assisting on only 2.
7. Greaves -1.0 - Only a turnover in 5 minutes
8. LeVan -1.7 - Only a missed shot and a turnover in 8 minutes

Inactives:
Dovey - Injured (Knee)
Dellegrotti - Injured (Head)

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Saturday Update

The KU women's basketball team pulled off a shocker on Saturday evening, outlasting Millersville for a 60-56 victory. The win ends a 15 game drought to Millersville and drops the Marauders, who went undefeated in PSAC East play last season, to 0-2 in the division in 2008-09. The Golden Bears, who played without the injured Katie Dovey and Lara Dellegrotti, improve to 2-0 in the PSAC East.

The men's team also game up victorious, knocking off the Marauders in convincing fashion, 88-65. The Golden Bears improve to 1-1 in the PSAC East with the win.

Huge test on tap for ladies

I don't have time to write up a full preview for Saturday's games, but in preparing for my broadcast of the ladies games, I wrote up an outline of the transcript I will use on the air. The following is tidbits of that transcript, which will serve as the preview for the women's game. Enjoy.

P.S.A.C East Women’s Basketball 1/17/2009
Millersville Marauders (11-3, 0-1) @ Kutztown Golden Bears (11-3, 1-0)
Keystone Hall
Golden Bear Network on www.kubears.com - Mike Clay/Tyler Schueck

Both the women’s and men’s teams will play host to the rival Millersville Marauders here tonight in what will mark the first home P.S.A.C. East contest of the 2008-09 season for both teams.

The Golden Bears come into this game at 11-3 overall this season, which includes a 1-0 record against P.S.A.C. East opponents. That lone win against an eastern division foe game came in Kutztown’s most recent action, which was on Wednesday at East Stroudsburg. In that game, the Golden Bears led for most of the way and despite letting a 29-15 halftime lead slip away, they held on for a big 54-49 road victory.

Meanwhile, the Millersville Marauders also enter this game with an 11-3 record, but are 0-1 in the PSAC East after falling by a score of 64-54 to West Chester in overtime in their divisional opener on Wednesday evening. Despite the loss, Millersville has proved that it will be a contender yet again this season, with one of its 11 victories coming against nationally-ranked Indiana.

Last season, the Marauders were the class of the PSAC East, notching a perfect 12-0 divisional record, which was part of an impressive 24-6 overall regular season record. Millersville advanced as far as the first round of the NCAA Division II East Regional, where they were eliminated by California University of Pennsylvania. Kutztown, on the other hand, was 11-16 a year ago, which included a 4-8 record in the PSAC East.

Last season, Millersville won the first meeting between the teams by a score of 65-40 right here at Keystone Hall. The Golden Bears kept it closer on the road in the second meeting, falling 56-43. The only returning Golden Bear to have scored in double figures in either one of those games was Chauntelle Schroeder, who scored 13 points in only 8 minutes of work in the team’ second meeting.

Probable Starters:
Millersville:
Jr - F- # 3 – Jenna Craig
Sr - F- # 22 – Gladine St. Julien
Sr - G- # 32 – Jenna Philo
Jr - G- # 34 – Aiesha Bellamy
Jr - G- # 35 – Ashley Moyer

Millersville is coached by Mary Fleig and assisted by Darlene Newman and Branden Lippy

Kutztown:
Jr - C- # 33 – Chauntelle Schroeder
So - F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
Jr - F- # 32 – Katie Dovey
Jr - G- # 11 – Rachel Wisemiller
So - G- # 13 – Meredith Starr

KU is coached by Janet Malouf and the assistant coach is Steve Hahn.

Other Game Notes:
Coach Mary Fleig sports a 28-11 record versus Kutztown. The Marauders have beaten Kutztown in 15 straight games dating back to the 2001-02 season.

Millersville was picked to finish 2nd in the East, behind only Shippensburg. Kutztown was picked to finish fourth.

1/14: KU 73, ESU 77

Stephen Dennis (pictured) and Ryan Washington converted on just six of their 29 combined shots on Wednesday night and it certainly showed on the scoreboard.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Ben 17.9 - Ben picked up where he left off in last year's trip to ESU, hitting 9 of his 14 shots for 24 points, 8 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
2. Bower 9.2 - One of his better efforts this season: 3-of-5 from the floor for 8 points and 7 rebounds
3. Woodlin 7.9 - 4-of-9 for 11 points and 4 boards
4. Dennis 7.6 - Hit only 3 of his 15 shots, but still scored 14 points to go with 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 boards
5. Washington 5.0 - Like Dennis, struggled from the field, managing just 7 points on 3-of-14 shooting, but did manage 5 blocks and a whopping 17 rebounds
6. Gray 4.3 - Started and went 3-of-5 for 9 points
7. White 0.0 - Nothing to show here in 3 minutes
8. Coombs -0.1 - Only a rebound and a foul in 4 minutes
9. Coffey -0.1 - 4 rebounds was only highlight in 11 minutes

Inactives:
Vrabel
Ford-Bey
Wenner

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

1/14: KU 54, ESU 49

Katie Dovey was instrumental in Wednesday's win over East Stroudsburg, which vaulted the ladies to a 1-0 record in the PSAC East.

Hollinger Game Score:

1. Dovey 8.5 - Last time, I mentioned she was improving every game. Against ESU, she made me look brilliant by dominating the game out of the gate. She ended up 7-of-14 from the field for a team-high 15 points. She also hauled in 7 boards in the win.
2. Starr 6.0 - If you told me I had to guess who the player is based simply on her rebound and assist totals, Starr would be the last person I would choose based on a line of 7 rebounds, 0 assists. Nonetheless, Starr found a way to contribute without netting a single assist, scoring 9 points to go with her effective work on the glass.
3. McQuade 5.8 - Didn't show particulary well (2-of-7), but as always, contributed in other ways: 8 rebounds, 8 points, 5 assists, 2 blocks.
4. Wisemiller 4.8 - An ugly 3-of-12 from the floor, but 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals isn't a bad night
5. Dellegrotti 3.5 - Hit a huge three pointer in this one to put KU up for good and ended up with 10 points
6. Mertz 0.7 - Only a block in 5 minutes
7. Greaves 0.0 - Nothing doing in 3 minutes
8. Melvin -1.0 - 1 point and 5 rebounds are not enough to offset 4 turnovers and 2 fouls in 24 minutes
9. LeVan -1.7 - Missed a shot and turned it over in 2 minutes
10. Schroeder -4.5 - Ouch! Coming off a huge weekend, Schroeder fell back to earth on Wednesday: 1-of-5 for 2 points, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers.

Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Wednesday Update

The KU basketball teams were in East Stroudsburg on Wednesday night, kicking off PSAC East play. The women's team came away with a 54-49 victory, while the men's team fell to the Warriors by a score of 77-73.

Next up is a matchup with PSAC East foe Millersville at Keystone Hall on Saturday evening.

Weekend Recap - Men

Saturday's bout with Edinboro was no walk in the park, but it was all fun and games for the Golden Bears against Lock Haven on Sunday.

Hollinger Game Score (includes Edinboro & Lock Haven games):

1. Washington 21.0
2. Dennis 20.4
3. Ben 19.5
4. Woodlin 9.8
5. Gray 4.9
6. Wenner 1.9
7. Coffey 1.9
8. Ford-Bey -0.1
9. Bower -0.5
10. White -0.7
11. Coombs -0.9
12. Vrabel -2.3

Edinboro Boxscore
Lock Haven Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Note: I'm pretty busy, which is why there is no analysis with this weekend's game score.

Weekend Recap - Women

While 'Big Ben' was leading the Steelers over the Chargers, Pittsburgh native Melissa McQuade was carrying the Golden Bears to a weekend split with Edinboro and Lock Haven.

Hollinger Game Score (includes Edinboro & Lock Haven games):

1. McQuade 16.1
2. Wisemiller 11.5
3. Schroeder 11.4
4. Dellegrotti 8.6
5. Starr 2.8
6. Dovey 2.5
7. Mertz -0.2
8. Greaves -1.5
9. LeVan -2.3
10. Melvin -3.7

Inactives:
Bonanno (Suspended for remainder of season)

Edinboro Boxscore
Lock Haven Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score

Note: I'm pretty busy, which is why there is no analysis with this weekend's game score.

Sunday Recap

The KU basketball teams were in action at home against Lock Haven on Sunday.

The women's team came up victorious over the Lady Eagles by a margin of 77-72, improving its record to 10-3 this season.

The men's team smoked LHU by a score of 98-58 to improve its record to 11-2.

Next up is the PSAC East openers at East Stroudsburg on Wednesday evening.

Check back Monday for the full weekend recaps.

Saturday Recap

The KU basketball teams were in action at home against Edinboro on Saturday, with the women's team falling 88-84 and the men's team winning 91-85.

The women blew a double digit second half lead in their loss, while the men erased a second half deficit in their win.

The women fall to 9-3, while the men improve to 10-2. Both teams are in action at home again tomorrow when they will play hose to Lock Haven.

Check back Monday for the game recaps.

Hey Edinboro...

...this is what you're going to have to deal with on Saturday. I honestly don't recommend messing with this guy.

Men look to rebound at home

What: Edinboro Fighting Scots @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday, January 10, 2009 @ 3 p.m.
Where: Keystone Hall on the campus of Kutztown University

The KU men’s basketball team will take on Edinboro on Saturday afternoon to open up the home portion of its 2008-09 PSAC schedule. The Golden Bears began this season strong, exploding to 9-0 record, before being swept at the hands of Gannon and Clarion this past weekend. KU was the pre-season pick to win the PSAC East, but there may be some questions now that they are off to a disappointing 0-2 start against teams in the conference. Gannon smoked KU 88-58 on Saturday before Clarion used a last second shot to take Sunday’s game 87-85. Fortunately for the Golden Bears, they still have Saturday’s game against Edinboro and Sunday’s contest at home against Lock Haven to gather some momentum for PSAC East play, which will begin on Jan. 14 at East Stroudsburg.

Meanwhile, the Edinboro Fighting Scots enter the contest at 10-1 and are fresh off a weekend sweep of Mansfield and Bloomsburg. EU took care of MU on Saturday by a score of 86-77 before handing BU a 94-78 loss on Sunday. Edinboro was a regional contender last season and appears to be a threat again this time around. One year ago, the Fighting Scots fell in the PSAC title game to California (Pa.) 73-65 before advancing to the NCAA East Regionals where they were eliminated by Millersville 64-61.

Speaking of last year, these teams did meet once early last season at Keystone Hall. The Golden Bears led 41-38 at the half, but the Fighting Scots battled back and overcame late-game free throw shooting woes to hold on for an 87-84 victory. Stephen Dennis was the game’s high scorer, dropping 30 points, while also hauling in 10 rebounds. Joe Jones scored 23 points to lead the Scots.

Probable Starters:
Edinboro:
F- # 13 – Vlad Kovalevsky
F- # 34 – Justin Moore
G- # 11 – Kyree Brown
G- # 5 – Joe Jones
G- # 2 – Gil Cummings
Kutztown:
C- # 44 – Mark Bower
F- # 52 – Ryan Washington
G- # 34 – Dave Ben
G- # 24 – Andre Woodlin
G- # 14 – Stephen Dennis

Scouting Report:
The Golden Bears are led by the two-headed monster of junior guard Stephen Dennis and senior guard David Ben [Pictured at top of page]. Dennis leads the team with 21.8 points per game and 55 assists and is tied with Ben for the team lead in steals with 30 a piece. Ben averages 21.2 points a game. Both players are shooting above 50% this season and both have exactly 61 rebounds in 2008-09. Sophomore Ryan Washington will start at power forward. He averages 11.8 PPG, fourth best on the team, while hauling in a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game and shooting a team-best 62.5% from the field. He is also third in assists (36), first in blocks (24), and fourth in steals (14). Senior guard Andre Woodlin averages just less than 13 points and just under 4 rebounds a game. He is fourth on the team with 34 assists and third with 25 steals. The fifth starter will be senior center Mark Bower, who replaced junior Jeremy Coombs in the lineup earlier this season. Bower plays just under 19 minutes a game, averaging 5.2 PPG and 3.7 RPG.

Freshman guard Julius Gray is the top reserve for KU this season, playing 22.5 minutes per game. The rookie is scoring 6.5 points a game, has 22 assists, and 12 steals. Sophomore guard Steve Coffey and freshman guard Omar Ford-Bey are also likely to see a few minutes of work in backcourt.

Although he has played sparingly while recovering from injury, Coombs is the top reserve in the frontcourt. Freshman forward Ryan White should see about 10 minutes of action, while freshmen forwards Jordan Wenner and Chris Vrabel could see a few minutes as well.

Edinboro is led by senior guard and PSAC leading scorer Joe Jones, who scores just over 23 points a game. He shoots 52.9% from the field, 37% from long range, and leads the team with 28 steals and 49 assists. Senior guard Gil Cummings is second on the team, averaging 15.7 PPG, while fellow starters junior forwards Vlad Kovalevsky and Justin Moore each contribute 8.3 PPG. Kovalevsky has 18 blocks and averages 6 RPG, both of which lead the team, while Moore hauls in a 5.7 boards a game, which is good for second best. Senior guard Kyree Brown has started the last few games for EU and will likely be the fifth starter. Junior guard/forward Chris Bess and senior guard Larry Bryant are likely to see significant minutes off the bench.

Prediction:
This game should be pretty evenly matched, as both teams are expected to contend for the PSAC title. The Fighting Scots have already proved they are for real this season, while KU disappointed this past weekend against Gannon and Clarion. That said, The Golden Bears are too good to drop three straight against the PSAC West. Expect the Dennis-Ben duo to come up big at home on Saturday en route to a relatively slim victory against a tough Edinboro squad.

Edinboro 81
Kutztown 86

Ladies set to host Edinboro

What: Edinboro Fighting Scots @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday, January 10, 2009 @ 1 p.m.
Where: Keystone Hall on the campus of Kutztown University

The KU women’s basketball team will play host to Edinboro on Saturday in what will be the team’s first home PSAC Crossover game of the 2008-09 campaign. The Golden Bears are 9-2 this season, which includes a 2-1 record against PSAC West teams. KU kicked the season off with a 66-51 victory over Slippery Rock as part of November’s Kutztown Classic and this past weekend split against two western division foes, falling 98-59 to Gannon before taking care of Clarion 87-69.

Meanwhile, Edinboro comes into town at 7-4 and is fresh off a weekend sweep of PSAC East contenders Mansfield and Bloomsburg. The Fighting Scots beat MU 88-65 on Saturday before crushing BU 77-55 on Sunday. Edinboro, coached by Stan Swank, went 17-10 last season, including 6-6 in the PSAC West.

In last season’s only meeting between the teams, Edinboro snuck out of Keystone Hall with a 48-46 victory in what was a solid defensive game by both teams. The score was 18-17 at the half in favor of Edinboro, which used 23 points from Samantha Reimer to carry them to the eventual 2 point victory. Melissa McQuade was the high scorer among returning players for KU, notching 8 points.

The Golden Bears will be looking to prove that their 9-2 early-season record is no fluke. With their nine wins coming against a less than impressive cast of opponents for the most part (SRU, Pitt-Johnstown, USP, Lincoln, Columbia Union x2, PSU-Berks, Chestnut Hill, Clarion), the Golden Bears need to get a few strong games in against top PSAC teams before divisional play begins next week.

Speaking of which, following tomorrow’s home PSAC West crossover contest with Lock Haven at 1 p.m., the Golden Bears will head to East Stroudsburg on Wednesday to open up PSAC East play against the Warriors. That game is set for 6 p.m.

Probable Starters:
Edinboro:
F- # 22 – Kelsey Conklin
F- # 32 – Renee Brown
F- # 14 – Micki Cerchiaro
G- # 33 – Samantha Reimer
G- # 20 – Casey Heller
Kutztown:
C- # 33 – Chauntelle Schroeder
F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
F- # 32 – Katie Dovey
G- # 11 – Rachel Wisemiller
G- # 13 – Meredith Starr

Scouting Report:
The Golden Bears are led by superstar sophomore forward Melissa McQuade, who is undoubtedly one of the PSAC’s finest players. McQuade is averaging 17.2 points and 8.9 rebounds this season, which are team bests. Her 31 steals, 50% three-point percentage, and 56.3% field goal percentage are team best and her 43 assists are second best.

Junior Rachel Wisemiller [Pictured at top of story] will start at the 2 or 3 position and will be relied on for her three point shooting ability. Wisemiller has made 40% of her 80 three point attempts this season and is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 PPG. Junior center Chauntelle Schroeder didn’t see much action her first two seasons at KU before jumping into a starting role this season, but has answered the call by averaging 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Sophomore point guard Meredith Starr has struggled as of late, but is still one of the PSAC’s best in terms of assist/turnover ratio. Her 62 dimes this season put her on pace to break the school’s single-season record.

Senior guard Lara Dellegrotti or junior forward Katie Dovey will man the other starting spot, but both should see significant action regardless. Dellegrotti has been a starter since arriving at KU, but has been plagued by injuries and is working her way back into the lineup as she tries to get back to 100% health. She averages 12 points per game when she plays, has 26 assists, and is one of the team’s best shooters. Dovey has done a fine job replacing Dellegrotti in the starting lineup and could get the nod this weekend. She has scored just under 6 points and grabbed just above 4 rebounds a game. [Update: It was confirmed this week by Coach Malouf that Dovey will start in place of Dellegrotti once again this weekend.]

Freshmen forwards Brittany Le Van, Hannah Mertz, and Brittany Greaves are expected to see limited action off the bench. Junior guard Vivian Melvin and freshman guard Vanina Bonanno, who made her debut against Gannon on Saturday, will spell the backcourt for time.

Edinboro is led by junior guard Samantha Reimer, who paces the team with 21.9 PPG and 46 assists. Her 179 shots, including 68 threes, and 58 turnovers show that she isn’t afraid to try and make plays, so KU will need to try and frustrate her with its stingy defense. Meanwhile, two other Fighting Scots are averaging double figures in scoring this season, with junior forward Kelsey Conklin managing 19.7 a game and freshman forward Renee Brown contributing 13.2 a game. The other two starters are expected to be freshman forward Micki Cerchiaro (9.5 PPG) and junior guard Casey Heller (4.5 PPG). Conklin leads the team with 8.5 rebounds a game and 30 steals, while Brown paces the way with 12 blocks.

Prediction:
It’s still a bit too early to know how PSAC teams are going to match up, but Edinboro made a big statement this past weekend when they smoked Bloomsburg and Mansfield. The Golden Bears disappointed against the West’s top team in Gannon on Saturday, but did bounce back strong with a thrashing of Clarion on Sunday.

I expect KU to come out strong this weekend against an extremely talented Edinboro squad. The Golden Bears have the firepower to win this game if they shoot well and I believe they will carry the momentum from Sunday into this game, keeping it close throughout. In the end, KU will slip by thanks to a Rachel Wisemiller last second three pointer.

Edinboro 58
Kutztown 60