Men can return to first place with win over ESU

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ East Stroudsburg Warriors
When: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 @ 8 p.m.
Where: Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of East Stroudsburg University

The Kutztown men’s basketball team will try and rebound from their first PSAC East loss of the season when they take on East Stroudsburg. KU lost to Cheyney on Saturday by a score of 81-75. Up 42-39 at the break, the Golden Bears struggled to stop CU’s Rob Simpson down the stretch and it cost them as the Wolves pulled away late and took over first place in the standings.

KU is still in good shape, but must take on a pesky ESU squad that has lost three straight after winning 13 in a row. Those last two losses have come in overtime to Millersville and Mansfield. ESU is now 13-6 overall and 2-3 in the PSAC East. This puts the Warriors in third place behind KU, so this game is crucial for them to keep pace.

Probable Starters:
ESU:
G- # 24 - Andy Heimbach
G- # 31 - Pat Fleury
G- # 42 - Dawud Lyons
F- # 22 - Josh Wentz
F- # 40 - Chris Bach

KU:
G- # 11 - Nate Edwards
G- # 32 - Andre Woodlin (pictured)
F- # 34 - Dave Ben
F- # 52 - Ryan Washington
C- # 55 - Jeremy Coombs

Scouting Report:

Kutztown (13-6 overall, 4-1 PSAC East, Second Place)

Last Game: Lost to Cheyney 81-75
The Golden Bears got off to a strong start thanks to Dave Ben, however, CU clamped down on him, which proved to be the difference. Nate Edwards started in place of Steven Dennis and had some nice stretches, but did pick up a technical foul. Dennis went 1-of-7 from the floor and is still trying to recover from his tailbone and hip injuries. He missed some shots that he usually makes, but I wouldn’t count on two straight bad games for him. The post tandem of Ryan Washington and Jeremy Coombs was effective on the offensive end of the floor in spurts, but they had no answer on the defensive end for Simpson. Both Washington and Coombs got into early foul trouble and reserve Kevin Hafera picked up three quick fouls off of the bench.

East Stroudsburg (13-6 overall, 2-3 PSAC East, Third Place)

Last Game: Lost to Millersville 68-66 (OT)
The Warriors were again without leading scorer Channon Easley who is out with an injury, but junior forward Chris Bach has been picking up the slack, and he dropped 26 points and grabbed 10 boards in the loss at Millersville. When on the floor, Easley leads the Warriors averaging 14.8 points per game and grabbing 8.1 boards per game. Bach averages 10.3 points per game and pulls down 6.8 rebounds per game. He also shoots 53 percent from the floor. Guard Andy Heimbach averages 13.7 points per game and shoots 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. Forward Josh Wentz averages 10.4 points per game and shoots 47.8 percent from the floor.

Last Season:
@ Kutztown: KU 74 ESU 69
@ ESU: ESU 74 KU 72

Prediction:
The Golden Bears are in unfamiliar territory this year after suffering their first PSAC East loss. The team had several opportunities to beat CU but couldn’t get the job done down the stretch. This game will be decided by foul trouble and bench play. The ESU bench does not get as many minutes as the KU bench does, so look for that to play a major factor. I think Dennis will still show some effects of his injury, but I’m hoping it is an improvement from last game. I can’t imagine that tailbone/hip injuries heal quickly and are easy to play through. That being said, the Golden Bears must forget about their last loss and realize that they can distance themselves in the division with a few more wins. The problem is that ESU has been playing some tight games and maybe catching the Golden Bears ripe for an upset. The road is never easy in the PSAC East, even though the Golden Bears have made it look that way thus far.

ESU 75
KU 71

Article written by Jason Ogle