The Golden Bears avenged their only divisional loss of the season by smoking East Stroudsburg 93-70 on Saturday afternoon.
Hollinger Game Score:
1. Woodlin 26.9 - The Ben/Dennis/Washington trio has stolen the show for most of the 2008-09 season, but it was Woodlin who went crazy on Saturday, scoring 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while grabbing 10 rebounds and distributing 7 assists.
2. Ben 19.0 - Scored a ton as usual, hitting 9-of-16 shots for 25 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds
3. Dennis 13.8 - 6-of-15 shooting for 18 points, but did most of his damage in other areas: 6 assists, 9 boards, and 4 steals
4. Bower 9.2 - Another solid effort for Bower, who seems to be improving as his senior season winds down: 3-of-5 for 9 points and 6 rebounds
5. Washington 2.8 - Not his best effort, but did what he had to do underneath, scoring 8 points and hauling in 4 boards
6. Gray 2.0 - Just 1-of-5 from the field for 5 points to go with 2 boards and 3 assists
7. Coffey 1.2 - Missed both of his shots, but hit a pair of free throws and grabbed 2 boards
8. Coombs 0.0 - Played just 2 minutes
9. Wenner 0.0 - Only a minute of action in this one
10. Ford-Bey 0.0 - Nothing here in 2 minutes of work
11. White -1.5 - Missed shot, 2 boards, a foul, and a turnover in 10 minutes
Inactives:
Vrabel
Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2/7: KU 93, East Stroudsburg 70
Saturday, February 7, 2009
2/7: KU 67, East Stroudsburg 59
Rachel Wisemiller was the standout for Kutztown on Saturday, pacing the Golden Bears with 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Hollinger Game Score:
1. Wisemiller 14.8 - Led the team with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting, which included 3-of-4 from long range. Also added 9 boards, 5 assists, and 2 steals in what was a solid all-around effort.
2. Schroeder 9.0 - Struggled to defend Yandrisevits, but had a good offensive day, scoring 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with 7 rebounds
3. Dovey 5.9 - Played a team-high 32 minutes and and answered the call with 13 points and 6 rebounds
4. Starr 5.0 - Only 1-of-6 in the shooting department, but had 6 rebounds and 6 assists
5. LeVan 3.0 - Was solid in 8 minutes of action, hauling in 4 rebounds and scoring once
6. Greaves 2.6 - 1-of-3 for 4 points and a rebound in 5 minutes
7. Mertz 2.0 - 3 boards and a block in just 5 minutes of action
8. Melvin 1.2 - Only shot twice in 21 minutes of work, but scored 4 points and snagged 5 rebounds
9. McQuade 0.2 - A rare poor shooting day from McQuade, who was 0-for-8 from the field and turned the ball over 7 times. She did manage a plus day with 6 free throws, 4 boards, 3 assists, 4 steals, and a block.
10. Dellegrotti -0.7 - Struggled in 16 minutes, turning it over 3 times, missing her only shot, and scoring just 2 points
Boxscore
YTD Hollinger Game Score
Saturday Update
The KU basketball teams were in action at home against East Stroudsburg on Saturday.
The ladies came away with a 67-59 victory, improving to 6-2 in the PSAC East and 16-5 overall.
The men's team dominated the Warriors en route to a 93-70 win. The Golden Bears improve to a division-leading 7-1 record and to 18-3 overall.
Next up is a trip to Mansfield on Wednesday.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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, April 23, 2008
Baseball moves back into playoff race
Friday, April 18 @
Game 1: L 1-2
The Golden Bears had as many errors as hits in game one, which allowed the Warriors to escape with a 2-1 victory. KU had just three hits—one a piece from Mike Kacelowicz, Matt Kulbacki, and Garrison Rausch. The three errors were costly as they spoiled a stellar outing by Phil Rummel, who tossed a complete game, allowing two unearned runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Game 2: W 11-6
The Kacelowicz brothers were a perfect 6-of-6 at the plate, which helped lead KU to a bounce back win in game two by a score of 11-6. Mike Kacelowicz, hitting out of the two-hole for the first time this season, was 4-of-4 with two runs and two RBIs. His brother Scott was 2-of-2 at the plate and had three RBIs. Matt Kulbacki was 3-for-3 and Brett Wigder was 2-of-4. Garrison Rausch was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings.
Saturday, April 19 vs.
Game 1: W 2-0
Darin Gorski continued his sensational 2008 season with a complete game, three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win in game one on Saturday. The KU offense managed just four hits, but a fourth inning two-run double by Jared Frey was all the support Gorski would need. Corey Buletza, Mike Kacelowicz, and Chad Lightcap had KU’s other three hits.
Game 2: W 10-3
Derek Reis got spanked in the top of the first inning, allowing three quick ESU runs, but the KU offense responded with three runs of it’s own in the bottom of the frame. Reis would then cruise through the rest of the day as his offense exploded to nine hits en route to a 10-3 KU win. Reis was the winning pitcher, allowing just the three first inning runs on four hits in five innings of work. Lightcap and Mike Kacelowicz led the offense with two hits a piece. Lightcap, leading off for the first time this season, had two RBIs and three runs scored.
What we liked:
Following the loss in game one of the four-game set, the Golden Bears had their backs up against the wall. The situation was basically win the next three games, or forget about the playoffs. Not only did the Golden Bears win all three games, but they dominated all three of them in some way. Darin Gorski dominated one of the wins, while the young offense finally exploded in the other two affairs. This was a great sign, as both the pitching staff and offense will need to be on top of their game when they play for their playoff lives this weekend against
Offensively, Mike Kacelowicz erased any memories of his mid-season slump, tearing the cover off the ball over the four game set. He was 8-of-12 (.667) at the plate, scored four runs, and drove in three. Matt Kulbacki caught two games and finally got a chance to DH another (it’s about time the way he’s hitting the ball). He was 4-of-8 (.500) at the plate and scored twice. Scott Kacelowicz had a big game on Saturday and was 2-for-4 (.500) with three RBIs and two runs scored on the weekend. Chad Lightcap was well below his average at 3-for-11 (.273), but scored four times. Jared Frey was only 3-of-13 (.231) at the plate, but drove in a team-high six runs and also scored twice.
I don’t have to say much more about how good Gorski looked on Saturday, but the other three starters were not far behind. Phil Rummel did not allow an earned run in his start on Friday and Derek Reis retired 11 straight after a disastrous first inning on Saturday. Garrison Rausch, who has struggled in 2008, improved his ERA and got a win on Friday when he allowed three runs in five innings.
What we didn’t like:
There were a lot of positives this weekend, so there isn’t much to say here. The Golden Bears really could’ve used that win in game on Friday, but the three errors were very costly. If KU misses the playoffs by a game, we could look back at that one and wonder what if. The offense was much better this weekend, but there were a notable few exceptions. After returning from injury a few weeks ago, James Quigley got off to a great start. However, he has struggled as of late in the cleanup spot and was just 1-of-5 (.200) with one RBI this weekend. Corey Buletza saw some work in the leadoff position (a place I could certainly see him getting a lot of time at down the road), but was just 2-of-10 (.200) at the plate this past weekend. Others who struggled at the dish included Garrison Rausch 1-of-5 (.200), Mike Dugan 1-of-7 (.143), and Jeff Kistle 1-of-10 (.100).
Impact:
The three wins improved KU’s divisional record to 8-8, which puts them in a tie with
Both of those matchups will impact KU’s attempt to hang on for playoff spot, but the Golden Bears can help themselves. They will need to beat
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ladies clinch playoff berth
Recap:
Friday, April 18 vs. Bloomsburg:
Game 1: L 2-5
Monica Glomb was lit up for five runs, four earned, on 10 hits in a complete game effort as KU fell 5-2 in game one. Steph Denlinger hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to cut the KU deficit to one run, but the Huskies answered with a two spot in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Kathy Gregg was 2-for-3 at the plate.
Game 2: L 1-4
The Golden Bears l
eft 10 runners stranded in a 4-1 game two loss, allowing the Huskies to complete the daily sweep. Maria Schiavo and Gregg each had two hits in the loss. Maggie Reifsnyder was 0-for-3 and stranded seven runs. Kait Arbogast took the loss for KU, allowing four runs on nine hits in seven innings.
Game 1: W 10-1
The Golden Bears bounced back on Sunday with a 10-1 smoking of ESU in game one. KU put up 17 hits in the win, led by three-hit days by Maria Schiavo and Caitlin Hague. Steph Denlinger, Ashley Fitzgerald, Krista Cameron, and Maggie Reifsnyder each had two hits. Arbogast was the winning pitcher, tossing a complete game, four-hitter. She allowed just one unearned run and struck out nine.
Game 2: W 6-2
The Golden Bears put 10 more hits on the board in game two en route to a 6-2 win. Hague, Kathy Gregg, and Krista Tedjeske carried the offensive load with two hits a piece. Tedjeske scored twice and drove in two runs. Mary Hoch was the starting pitcher for KU but was replaced by Monica Glomb after 2.2 innings of work. Glomb was the winning pitcher, tossing a scoreless 4.1 innings, while allowing just two hits.
What we liked:
The Golden Bears bounced back nicely on Saturday after a big letdown on Friday afternoon. Besides the two losses to Bloomsburg on Friday, ESU was the only other PSAC East team that had beaten KU this season. Instead of coming out in a funk against a team that knew they had it in them to knock off a good team like KU, the Golden Bears came out swinging and dominated the Warriors. Caitlin Hague was 6-of-10 (.600) and Kathy Gregg was 7-of-12 (.583) over the weekend. Both drove in two runs and scored twice. Maria Schiavo had a decent weekend, going 5-for-13 (.385) at the dish. Ashley Fitzgerald was 4-for-11 (.364), while Steph Denlinger was 4-for-12 (.333) and drove in five runs. Kim Morrison scored five runs in the four games. Krista Tedjeske seems to have broken from her slump. She was 3-for-10 (.300) at the plate, scored twice, and drove in two.
What we didn’t like:
You won’t see these names in this section very often, but the pitching wasn’t on the top of its game this weekend. Ace Kait Arbogast was 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 13 innings of work. She allowed 13 hits in that span, but did strike out 15 hitters. Monica Glomb was also 1-1, but with a bit higher of an ERA at 2.52 in 11.1 innings. Mary Hoch threw just 2.2 innings in game two against ESU and allowed four earned runs on five hits. At the plate, Krista Cameron hit a speed bump, managing just a 3-for-15 (.200) weekend. Maggie Reifsnyder seems to have cooled off, as she was 3-of-13 at the plate, including 0-for-6 against BU. Overall, the offensive output looks good for the weekend, but KU left a lot of runners on base. This was most notable in game two against Bloomsburg on Friday, as KU certainly had several opportunities to take the lead and even run away with that game. The Golden Bears did not bring their A-game on Friday and one can only hope that their performance will serve as a wake up call for the rest of the season.
Impact:
The Golden Bears sweep of ESU on Saturday clinched them a spot in the PSAC playoffs. KU (17-3) also had a chance to clinch the PSAC East title this weekend and, although they still maintain a three-game lead in the division, Bloomsburg (13-5) is certainly not out of the running. The Huskies will likely hold on for one of the two remaining playoff spots, but the third is certainly up for grabs. Shippensburg (9-9) holds the spot right now, but
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Playoff berth on line for baseball team
What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ East Stroudsburg Warriors
When:
Where: Mitterling Field on the campus of
~and~
What:
When:
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of
Radio: Golden Bear Network at
Game Info
The KU baseball team will head into this weekend’s set of home-and-home doubleheaders with the East Stroudsburg Warriors looking to jump back into the PSAC playoff race.
The Golden Bears currently sit at 16-17 overall this season and are 5-7 in the PSAC East. They trail
KU’s latest divisional action was this past weekend when they scored a grand total of five 
runs in four games en route to dropping three of four against Millersville. On Friday night, the Golden Bears were downed on the road by scores of 5-1 and 6-0. On Saturday at North Campus Field, they managed to take game one 3-2 before dropping game two 3-1.
KU played a few non-conference foes during the week with the results still unavailable. The Golden Bears will complete a pair of doubleheaders at
The Warriors are 16-21 overall this season and, as mentioned, are tied with KU for fourth in the East at 5-7. Their most recent action was a doubleheader split with Bloomsburg over the weekend. At home on Friday, they fell 9-7 before winning 8-0. Then on Saturday they won 15-4 and lost 10-6.
The two teams have already met once this season—an early season meeting in
Last year, the teams met a total of six times, including once during the PSAC playoffs. The Golden Bears won all five regular season meetings, including a 7-2 early season victory played in
Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Mike Kacelowicz – SS
2. Jared Frey – 1B
3.
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Garrison Rausch – CF
8/9. Mark Renda/Mike Dugan/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis
1.
2. Brendan O’Malley – 3B
3. Mike Bortz – CF
4. Chris Zsenak – 1B
5. Kyle Sheaffer – LF
6. Kevin Thompson – RF
7. Blake Knecht – DH
8. Brendan O’Connor – CA
9. Edwin Padua – SS
SPs: Dave Boyer, Jeremy Gigliotti, Bill Hezel, Christian Saveri, Steve Prazenka
Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.419-5-23). He leads the team in batting average, homers, RBIs, runs scored (28), slugging percentage (.657), and on base percentage (.519). Jared Frey (.333-0-9) has progressed nicely in his second season and is second on the team in batting average. Scott Kacelowicz (.333-0-4) and Matt Kulbacki (.301-5-19) have been a formidable catching combination and both are hitting over .300. Brett Wigder (.304-0-14), James Quigley (.300-0-4), and Corey Buletza (.299-1-16) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen. Mike Kacelowicz (.288-1-12) has been mired in a slump, but remains the teams leadoff hitter and is tops on the team with 12 doubles and 17 walks. Mike Dugan (.276-1-9), Jeff Kistle (.257-0-10), Mark Renda (.245-0-14), Nole Saylor (.231-0-3), and Andy May (.192-0-3) are five other freshman who will see a decent amount of at-bats during the weekend. Garrison Rausch (.160-0-6), who has been starting to heat up at the plate, will man center and bat in the middle of the order. Buletza and Renda have a team high 14 steals.
Darin Gorski (6-2 2.61), Phil Rummel (4-3 3.40), and Derick Reis (1-2 2.43) are likely to be three of the weekend’s four starters. The fourth spot was Garrison Rausch’s (0-3 6.12) earlier this season, but his struggles may have lost him that spot. Against Millersville this past weekend, Justin Jachowicz (0-3 4.05) made his second start of the season. Ryan Cassidy (1-1 4.09) and Steve Craig (2-1 5.00) are likely candidates if Rausch or Jachowicz don’t get the call.
Chris Zsenak (.382-1-17) and Blake Knecht (.350-1-5) are good for more than having confusing last names, as they are one-two on the Warriors in hitting. Mike Bortz (.337-7-25) is tops on the team in homers and is tied with Kyle Sheaffer (.309-1-25) for the team lead in RBIs. Bortz and Zsenak each have scored a team-best 23 runs, while Sheaffer leads his squad with 11 steals.
Dave Boyer (5-3 4.60), Jeremy Gigliotti (2-4 7.11), Bill Hezel (2-6 7.56), Christian Saveri (3-2 4.70), and Steve Prazenka (2-1 3.89) are the likely candidates for the four starts. Saveri is the only one who hasn’t started at least six games this season, but he did get a start against Bloomsburg this past weekend.
The Golden Bears will obviously be looking to win all four games this weekend, but the team’s offensive struggles make that seem like wishful thinking. Fortunately for them, they do have the pitching to pull it off. The offense just needs to show up.
The Golden Bears could end up eliminated from the playoffs if they lose the series and that would a huge disappointment, as they certainly have the pitching they would need to make a run in PSACs. Basically, KU needs to take at least three games this weekend. After this four-game stretch, all that is left is four games with
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Softball splits with ESU
Recap:
Wednesday, April 2 vs.
Game 1: L 2-6
The Warriors exploded to five combined runs in the fourth and fifth innings en route to a 6-2 victory in game one. ESU jumped all over Kait Arbogast in the fourth inning, forcing her to leave the game after allowing three runs on four hits in three innings of work. Mary Hoch entered the game and allowed two more earned runs on six hits in the final four innings. The Golden Bears, who began a rally in the bottom of the seventh but could only manage one run, had just six hits in the game.
Game 2: W 7-1
The Golden Bears jumped ahead 3-0 in the third inning before adding four insurance runs in the fifth frame to seal the 7-1 game two victory. Ashley Fitzgerald carried the offense, registering a 2-for-3 day at the plate, which included a solo homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the fifth. Monica Glomb earned the winning, tossing a complete game five hitter. She allowed just one earned run and struck out nine.
What we liked:
Game two saw outstanding performances from both Monica Glomb and Ashley Fitzgerald. Glomb had one of her best outings as a Golden Bear, allowing just one run and striking out nine. She will be counted on to come up big in key situations as the season goes on, and, if Wednesday was any indication of things to come, coach Judy Lawes should feel good about Glomb. Fitzgerald had three hits on five at bats in the doubleheader and all but single-handedly carried KU to a game two victory. She has been the biggest threat at the plate for the Golden Bears in 2008 and there is no reason to believe that she won’t continue to perform at this level. Maria Schiavo was 2-of-4 at the plate, while Kathy Gregg was 2-of-5 and scored three runs.
What we didn’t like:
Kait Arbogast has allowed three earned runs in each of her last two games, which could be worrisome. The sophomore ace pitched most of KU’s innings last season, and, although she has help from Mary Hoch and Glomb this season, she is still needs to be at the top of her game if KU has a chance against the likes of Lock Haven and Bloomsburg. The Golden Bears’ offensive struggles on Wednesday were the product of poor outputs from big bats Steph Denlinger [pictured] (1-for-5) and Krista Cameron (1-of-7), leadoff hitter Kim Morrison (1-of-7), and freshman Krista Tedjeske (0-for-6), who is counted on to provide protection for Cameron in the six spot.
Impact:
The split, coupled with Bloomsburg’s sweep of Shippensburg, drops KU from the top spot in the PSAC East. The Huskies (4-0) lead KU (5-1) and SU (4-2) with plenty of games still to be played. ESU has proved to be one of the worst teams in the East so far this season, so the loss could prove costly with the competition for the top seed in the division sure to be a dogfight. The players who have been struggling/struggled on Wednesday are proven veterans in most cases and there is no doubt in my mind that they will be back to form this weekend when KU continues it’s divisional schedule with two of the biggest doubleheaders of the season. The Golden Bears will head to Bloomsburg on Friday and return home to face Shippensburg on Saturday.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
KU looks to dispose of struggling Warriors
What:
When:
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of
Game Info
The Golden Bears (27-5) will head into Wednesday’s doubleheader with 
t. The 18th ranked team in the nation swept Millersville and Mansfield this past weekend, which tied them at 4-0 with Shippensburg atop the division. KU has won 18 of it’s last 19 games and six straight, including a pair of 9-0 wins at Millersville on Friday and a pair of 4-3 wins at home against
Last year, KU won five of the team’s six meetings, but ESU was the team who ended the Golden Bears’ season when they eliminated them from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.
Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/DH
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Krista Tedjeske – SS
7. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
8. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch
ESU:
1. Jamie Mingis – LF
2. Brittany Racek – 2B
3. Briana Malachowski – SS
4. Ali Hale – 1B
5. Amanda Feist – CA
6. Candice Pastor – 3B
7. Kara Darcey – RF
8. Laura Snyder – CF
9. Sam Bastian – DH
SPs: Kristen Halvorsen & Jackie Battaglino
Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are the far superior team here and should be able to easily dispose of the rival Warriors. KU is far better offensively and now, with the additions of Mary Hoch and Monica Glomb, have the pitching depth necessary to win even if Kait Arbogast does not have the ball.
Ashley Fitzgerald (.415-8-28) has flown under the radar over the past few seasons due to the almost surreal number put up by Steph Denlinger (.398-7-31), but she has led the offense in 2008. Krista Cameron (.379-3-25) has been stellar in protecting Fitzgerald, while Krista Tedjeske (.247-1-14), Caitlin Hague (.250-1-9), Maggie Reifsnyder (.250-2-5), and Kathy Gregg (.291-5-13) [pictured] round out what is possibly the toughest lineup in the PSAC. Not to be forgotten are the tablesetters: Kim Morrison (.270-3-14) and Maria Schiavo (.333-0-12), who will called upon to get on base for the meat of the Kutztown order.
Arbogast (14-3 1.77) has certainly not been a victim of a sophomore slump as she’s proved she can be the ace of the KU pitching staff. Hoch (5-0 1.17) has been lights out as a rookie, while Glomb (6-2 2.10) has joined with Hoch to form a deadly freshmen tandem.
As a team, KU is hitting .308 and has belted 32 homers. The team ERA is a whopping 1.84 and opponents are batting just .212 against the KU pitching staff.
The Warriors will look to counter the KU offense with the pitching duo of Kristen Halvorsen (3-8 2.77) and Jackie Battaglino (2-5 2.67). KU saw a lot of Halvorsen last season, while Battaglino made just four appearances in 2007.
The ESU offensive load will be carried by Briana Malachowski (.345-1-2), who leads the team in batting average. Brittany Racek (.294-1-11) has driven in a team-high 11 runs and scored a team-best 10 runs. She will be counted on to provide a majority of the pop from the front end of the ESU lineup. Leadoff hitter Jamie Mingis (.263-1-4) is hitting just .263, but has walked a team-high eight times. Other than those three, the ESU lineup has been rather unimpressive in 2008. Other than Sam Bastian (.300-0-1), who has just 10 at-bats this season, none of the remaining probable starters have a batting average higher than .222.
The Golden Bears are one of the top teams in the nation and should have no trouble with the Warriors. A loss in either game would be a big shocker, as ESU will be lucky to get out of the fifth inning if KU comes in focused. There is no reason to believe this will be a trap game for the Golden Bears, since most players are back from last year’s team—the team whose season was ended by the Warriors.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Golden Bears win share of PSAC East
Kutztown Golden Bears 82
Recap:
The KU men’s basketball team is the PSAC East champion! The Golden Bears defeated
Key Stat:
The Golden Bears hit 15 more free throws than the Warriors, which proved to be the difference in the gam
e. KU was 35-of-51 from the charity stripe, while ESU was 20-of-26. There were a total of 61 personal fouls and 41 turnovers in the game
Key Moment:
ESU’s Josh Wentz hit a three pointer with 40 seconds to play in the game, cutting his team’s deficit to five. That would be as close as the Warriors would get, as KU outscored them 5-2 in the final seconds to close out the game.
Golden Performance:
Andre Woodlin was in the zone—to say the least. He was 8-of-13 from the floor and scored a career-high 28 points. The junior was also 12-of-16 from the free throw line, grabbed 10 rebounds, recorded two steals, and dished out a pair of assists.
Not-So-Golden Performance:
If you were at this game, you should already know where I’m going with this. The refereeing was abysmal at best. Okay, fine. It sucked. My partner on the air Jason Ogle and I could not believe our eyes on several occasions and vehemently voiced our displeasure to the listening audience. I lost count of how many phantom calls were made, how many incorrect calls were made, and how many easy calls were missed. I suppose even referees have their bad days, and this was sure one of them. 61 fouls were whistled and seven players fouled out. Ridiculous.
Impact:
The Golden Bears win means that Millersville will be in town for Tuesday’s playoff game. Meanwhile, Cheyney will host
If Cheyney wins, the rest of the PSAC playoffs will be held at Cope Hall. If Cheyney falls and KU wins, the rest of the tournament will be at Keystone Hall. If both KU and CU fall, the remainder of the playoffs will be at Pucillo Gymnasium in Millersville. In the PSAC West, Edinboro will be the top seed and will play either IUP or Slippery Rock in the first round. Meanwhile,
Check back in the next two days for a full playoff preview.
Loss overshadows Senior Day
Kutztown Golden Bears 72
Recap:
Despite already knowing they were eliminated from the PSAC playoff race, the women’s basketball team gave it their all in the team’s regular season finale. Unfortunately for them, playoff-bound
Key Stat:
838. The game was meaningless with both team’s postseason fates already set, so why not focus on some history. Mercedes Van Wagner will one day be a member of the Kutztown University Hall of Fame and she added to her already outstanding resume today. In her last game as a Golden Bear, the senior center hauled in 11 rebounds to give her 838 for her career, a new KU career record. She is also KU’s all time block leader and one of 11 ladies to score 1,000 career points.
Key Moment:
As much as I’d like to ignore the disappointing end to the season and focus on the positives, the moment of the game that really turned the tables was pretty clear. KU trailed by 20 with 9:16 left in the game before they went on an 8-0 run tha
t stole them the game’s momentum and got them to within 12 with 7:00 to play. Right when it seemed like the Golden Bears were about to wheel in the Warriors, a timeout was called. It is officially listed as a media timeout, but the referee appeared to gesture as though KU coach Janet Malouf called for it. Regardless of who called it, the timeout proved to be costly as ESU came out of the timeout strong with a 5-0 run that put the game away for good.
Golden Performance:
As mentioned, Van Wagner was stellar, hauling in 11 rebounds. She also scored 12 points, which marks yet another double-double, one of dozens in her successful career at KU. Van Wagner was 6-of-6 from the free throw line and also recorded a steal and block. She will be missed.
Not-So-Golden Performance:
No one on KU played a particularly poor game, so there aren’t many negatives to point out in that regard. The most disappointing thing about the game to me was the fact that Molly Brown played just 8 minutes. Playing in her final game, the senior center managed 3 boards and 4 points on 1-of-4 shooting. It was unfortunate that coach Malouf didn’t allow her more minutes, especially since it was a meaningless game. Brown struggled with injuries throughout her four-year career and never saw consistent minutes because of that. However, she stuck with it and has done a decent job off the bench for KU when she has been healthy. It was really upsetting to me to not see her play more than 8 minutes. Even though they are both centers, Van Wagner and Brown certainly could’ve played at the same time, similar to how they did last year.
Impact:
ESU will head off to Millersville for the playoffs, while the Golden Bears will begin planning for 2008-09. KU will lose Mercedes Van Wagner, Rachel Weidensaul, and Molly Brown to graduation, so they will need to find a way to replace that size. Rachel Wisemiller will likely step into the starting lineup for Weidensaul and Coach Malouf apparently has at least two freshman forwards set to step into significant playing time. Chauntelle Schroeder and Claire Sitarz will also be expected to step into significant minutes in the front court in an attempt to replace the production of Van Wagner. KU will return 3 starters in Meredith Starr, Lara Dellegrotti, and Melissa McQuade. McQuade was superb as a freshman and will be expected to be the top scoring threat for KU in 2008-09. Dellegrotti will enter her senior season looking to carry the torch in the back court and will be counted on to distribute the basketball and hit three point buckets. Starr did a decent job handling the ball as a freshman and will need to improve in her sophomore campaign. Wisemiller, Melvin, and Dovey will also likely be big parts of the KU rotation next year.
The Golden Bears finish the season with an 11-16 overall record. They went 4-8 in the PSAC East, the worst divisional mark put up by a Janet Malouf team since her arrival in 1994-95. In Malouf’s first eight years at KU, her team’s posted a 64-32 record against PSAC East opponents. Since that point, KU has gone 32-40 over her last six years.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Share of PSAC East title in view for men
What:
When: Saturday, March 1, 2008 @
Where: Keystone Hall on the campus of
The Golden Bears and Warriors will head into Saturday’s affair for what could be a preview of Tuesday’s playoff action. An ESU (6-5) win coupled with a Millersville (7-4) loss to West Chester (3-8) would mean that ESU will return to Keystone Hall on Tuesday for a first round playoff game. If Millers
ville wins or ESU falls to KU, Millersville will come to town on Tuesday, while ESU would head to Cheyney (10-2). The Golden Bears will be the number-two seed in the East regardless of what happens on Saturday, but will win a share of the PSAC East regular season title with a win. KU, ESU, CU, and MU all head into Saturday’s action with identical 18-8 overall records.
The Golden Bears enter this game fresh off a 112-96 win over Columbia Union on Wednesday at Keystone Hall. KU’s latest PSAC East action was a 79-71 upset win at Cheyney on Saturday.
The Warriors have won four straight games and 5-of-6 since falling to KU 78-56 on Feb. 6. ESU has ripped off consecutive wins against WCU, Bloomsburg, Millersville, and Mansfield, which has positioned them for a chance at the third or fourth playoff seed.
The first meeting between the two teams this season was a memorable one for KU and a forgettable one for the Warriors. The Golden Bears trailed 37-26 at the half, but stormed to 52 second half points, while holding ESU to 4-of-30 from the field, and won the game handily 78-56.
Dave Ben was 12-of-20 from the field and scored a career high 32 points. Andre Woodlin and Stephen Dennis also reached double digits with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Channon Easley was the only Warrior in double figures, notching 12.
Probable Starters:
G- # 24 - Andy Heimbach
G- # 31 - Pat Fleury
F- # 25 – Channon Easley
F- # 22 - Josh Wentz
F- # 40 - Chris Bach
Kutztown:
G- # 14 – Stephen Dennis
G- # 32 - Andre Woodlin
F- # 34 - Dave Ben
F- # 52 - Ryan Washington
C- # 55 - Jeremy Coombs
Scouting Report:
KU will need to focus on Easley and Bach. Bach (11.7 PPG) has carried the team’s scoring load over the last month, while Easley (13.7 PPG) still leads the team in scoring. Heimbach (12.0 PPG) and Wentz (10.8 PPG) also average double figures in scoring this season.
Bach and Easley are both big men and ESU will try to feed them the ball inside. Each averages near 8 rebounds a game this season and they have combined for 98 blocks.
KU will continue to look to Dave Ben and Stephen Dennis to carry the scoring load with Andre Woodlin as a top-notch secondary option. Ryan Washington, Jeremy Coombs, and Kevin Hafera will be relied on to contain the inside presence of Easley and Bach. Nate Edwards will see significant action off the bench and will need to make a few big plays on both ends.
Prediction:
First I need to determine which KU team will come to play. The Golden Bears have played some inconsistent basketball this season, but then other times they’ve played excellent throughout the game (see Cheyney a week ago). Secondly, I need to determine if KU will be motivated to play with nothing to lose. Finally, I need to decide if ESU’s hot streak has proved that they are contenders in the PSAC or if KU is still the more talented team.
My answer to those three questions: “What’s with all the questions? Enough with the questions, Question Man!”
No, but really, it actually is hard to say.
Since that is no fun, however, I’ll make a prediction anyways. KU will come out and play a decent tune up game for the playoffs. They won’t lay back and they’ll play to win against a team that is slightly less talented. ESU will hang in there, but KU will be hungry for that share of the division title and will hold off the Warrior charge.
Kutztown 73
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Ladies look for revenge against ESU
What:
When:
When the Kutztown Golden Bears face off with the East Stroudsburg Warriors on Saturday, it will be a meaningless game with both teams’ postseason fates already determined…or will it?
KU will be taking on the team that barely beat them out for this season’s fourth and final PSAC East playoff spot. The Warriors (5-6) beat 
ich clinched them the fourth seed, thus eliminating the Golden Bears (4-7). KU could try to exact some revenge on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Bears enter the game 11-15 overall this season and will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. KU is coming off a 72-59 loss at Cheyney (7-5) this past Saturday and has lost five of its last seven games. This will be the team’s season finale.
The Warriors, meanwhile, will be looking to build some momentum for their first round playoff bout with Millersville (11-0). ESU cannot improve it’s standing in the division, but will likely not back down with a tough challenge ahead of them the following Tuesday. The Warriors are coming off Wednesday’s 64-44 shellacking of
The teams first met this season on Feb. 2 with ESU defending its home court by a score of 67-59. Melissa McQuade carried the KU offense with 20 points and 11 boards. ESU had three scorers reach double-digits, with Kristen Murray scoring 17, Jackie Yandrisevits notching 15, and Monika Fogelsanger dropping 11.
Probable Starters:
East Stroudsburg:
F- # 45 – Monika Fogelsanger
G- #11 – Keri Cahill
G- #20 – Mel Villano
G- # 32 – DeAnna Rayam
G- # 43 – Jackie Yandrisevits
Kutztown:
C- # 53 – Mercedes Van Wagner
F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
F- # 15 – Rachel Weidensaul
G- # 13 – Meredith Starr
G- # 5 – Lara Dellegrotti
Scouting Report:
The Golden Bears have failed to play consistent basketball down the stretch, thus costing them an opportunity to play postseason basketball. They will look to find some of that consistency and to build for the 2008-09 season in this game.
The seniors (Van Wagner, Weidensaul, Molly Brown) will likely see significant action with the team already eliminated. With that said, don’t expect KU to lay back and let the Warriors run all over them. The Golden Bears should be motivated to knock off the team who beat them out for the final playoff spot. KU has the talent to do it, starting in the frontcourt.
The Warriors will see a lot of Van Wagner and McQuade, both who have double-double potential in the paint. If they struggle, Coach Janet Malouf will look to leading scorer Weidensaul or to guards Lara Dellegrotti and Rachel Wisemiller, who has been stellar as of late.
Meanwhile, the ESU front court is not so shabby, with Fogelsanger and Yandrisevits working the inside. Yandrisevits generally leads the team in scoring, but this is far from a one woman team. Murray, Fogelsanger, and Rayam each average over 8.5 points per game and any one of them can go off for 20 at any given time.
The Golden Bears will have their hands full on both ends off the court, much like the first meeting, but KU does have similar (if not more) talent than the Warriors and could easy take care of business in their season finale.
Prediction:
The games that don’t really mean anything are the hardest ones to predict. Will KU come out motivated to knock off bitter rival ESU? Or will they come out downtrodden and unmotivated after being eliminated from the playoff picture?
Personally, I can’t see it going over too well with the seniors on this team if they fall in their last game at Kutztown. Expect Van Wagner to be as motivated as ever with nothing to lose in her final game. Only one of 11 1,000 point scorers in school history, she has been a treat to watch for the last four years and isn’t about to disappoint with the end of the line in plain view.
McQuade, Wisemiller, Brown, and Weidensaul (yes, in that order) will all add in enough scoring to lead KU to a slim season finale victory.
East Stroudsburg 61
Kutztown 62
Men's playoff picture update
Current Standings (playoff teams only):
1. Cheyney 10-2***
2. Kutztown 9-2**
3. Millersville 7-4
4.
***Clinched top seed
**Clinched first round home game
Remaining schedule:
March 1:
Bloomsburg at
E. Stroudsburg
Millersville at
If KU beats ESU, Mill beats WCU
ESU (6-6) @ CU (10-2)
Mill (8-4) @ KU (10-2)
If KU beats ESU, WCU beats Mill
ESU (6-6) @ CU (10-2)
Mill (7-5) @ KU (10-2)
ESU (7-5) @ CU (10-2)
Mill (8-4) @ KU (9-3)
If ESU beats KU, WCU beats Mill
Mill (7-5)* @ CU (10-2)
ESU (7-5)* @ KU (9-3)
*ESU wins tiebreaker over Mill by virtue of win against Cheyney
Sunday, February 24, 2008
OFFICIAL Men's Playoff Scenarios
Special thanks to KU Sports Information Director Josh Leiboff for preparing these (which saved me a lot of time and energy).
Current Standings
1. Cheyney 9-2*
2. Kutztown 9-2*
3. Millersville 7-3*
4. East Stroudsburg 5-5
5. Mansfield 4-6
6. West Chester 2-8
7. Bloomsburg 0-10
*Clinched playoff berth
Remaining schedule:
February 27
*West Chester at Bloomsburg
*Cheyney at Millersville
* Mansfield at E. Stroudsburg
March 1
*Bloomsburg at Mansfield
*E. Stroudsburg at Kutztown
*Millersville at West Chester
If KU beats ESU, Chey beats Mill, Mill beats WCU
Cheyney (10-2) is #1 (tiebreaker 2-sweep of MU)
KU (10-2) is #2
Millersville (9-3) #3
If KU beats ESU, Mill beats Cheyney and WCU
KU (10-2) is #1
Mill (9-3) is #2, with 11 wins vs. DII at or above .500 (tiebreaker 3)
Chey (9-3) is #3, with 8 wins vs. DII at or above .500
If KU loses to ESU, and Cheyney beats Millersville
Cheyney (10-2) is #1
KU (9-3) is #2
If KU loses to ESU and Millersville beats Cheyney and WCU
All three teams would be 9-3, MILL wins tiebreaker 3 with 11^ wins vs. DII at or +500, KU and CHEY remain tied with 8^. Cheyney wins tiebreaker 4 with 1.00 winning percentage vs. DII teams below .500.(^all three include 1 win over IUP, which might not be included, include wins assumed in this scenario)
Mill (11 wins DII at or +.500) is #1
Chey (8-0, 1.00% vs. DII below .500) is #2
Kutz (8-2, .800 vs. DII below .500) is #3
If KU loses to ESU, Millersville beats Cheyney and WCU beats Mill.
KU and Cheyney would be 9-3, Cheyney wins tiebreaker 4 with 1.00 winning percentage vs. DI teams below .500
Chey (8-0, 1.00% vs. DII below .500) is #1
Kutz (8-2, .800 vs. DII below .500) is #2 (does not included 2/27 game vs. CUC)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Ben there, done that
East Stroudsburg
Recap: The Golden Bears struggled out of the gate against PSAC rival 
ot 62 percent in the second half and outscored the Warriors 52-19. It was easily the team’s best half of the season and possibly one of its best ever.
Telling Stat: The Warriors shot just 13.3% in the second half, making just 4 (yes, I said four) of their 30 field goal attempts. The KU defense clamped down hard in the second half and the offense was not far behind, scoring 52 total points.
Key play: Ryan Washington hit a jumper 2 minutes into the second half, which cut KU’s deficit to 11. From there, KU would score another 15 straight points to take their first lead of the game. The Golden Bears would eventually turn that 17-0 run into a 28-4 run and then coasted to the victory from there.
Most Valuable Golden Bear: David Ben scored a career high 32 points, which was also a season high for KU. 24 of Ben’s points came in the second half, one in which he, by himself, outscored ESU 24-19. The junior was 12-of-20 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in with 6 boards, 2 assists, and a steal.
Least Valuable Golden Bear: Starting center Jeremy Coombs played just 16 minutes and made little impact. Coombs was 0-for-4 from the free throw line and grabbed just 2 rebounds. If anything, Coombs did see some second half minutes when KU held ESU to just 19 points. Coombs will need to step it up if KU hopes to have any answer for the league’s big men, most notably Cheyney’s Robbie Simpson.
Impact: The Golden Bears win returns them to the top spot in the PSAC East at 5-1. This time around, however, KU is tied with Cheyney for that spot. The Wolves, of course, hold the tiebreaker as they are responsible for KU’s only divisional loss. The two teams meet again at Cheyney on Feb. 23. Also of note in this game were the efforts of point guard Stephen Dennis. The sophomore has been hobbled by injury over the past few weeks, but looked like he was back to 100 percent last night. He didn’t shoot as well as he can, but he certainly looked like his speed and agility was back to normal.
Photo: The play Dennis was injured on against Millersville on Jan. 23.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Quickie Recaps
Full recaps will be available here tomorrow, but for now here is a brief summary of tonights events.
Women's Box
The ESU and KU women's teams swapped the lead on several occasions throughout the evening, but the Golden Bears were unable to hold up down the stretch and the Warriors came away with the big 67-59 win. Melissa McQuade led KU with 20 points. With the loss, KU falls a game out of the final PSAC East playoff spot.
Men's Box
The KU men struggled in the first half of their game, but erased an 11 point halftime deficit by scoring 52 second half points en route to a convincing 78-56 win. The win moves them to 5-1 and back into first place in the PSAC East. David Ben scored a career high 32 points.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Men can return to first place with win over ESU
When:
Where: Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of
The Kutztown men’s basketball team will try and rebound from their first PS
AC East loss of the season when they take on
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
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,
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
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
Lady Bears, Warriors bout for final playoff spot
What: Kutztown Golden Bears @
When:
Where: Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of
The KU women’s basketball team will be heading to
Both teams come into the game with divisional records of 2-3 and are tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the competitive eastern division.
KU, 9-11 overall this season, is coming off Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to the Cheyney
Wolves, generally an automatic two wins in the division. With losses to the three teams currently ahead of them in the divisional standings, KU needs to beat ESU to remain in line for a playoff berth.
ESU, meanwhile, is 8-11 overall this season and coming off a 72-64 loss to division-leading Millersville. The Warriors kicked off PSAC East play by defeating Cheyney and Bloomsburg, but have since dropped three straight to
These teams have quite a history together, particularly over the past two seasons, so it should come as no surprise that there is something on the line this time around. During the 2005-06 season, KU lost by just one point at ESU in the final game of regular season, which allowed the Warriors to claim the PSAC East title. Just four days later, the Golden Bears returned to ESU for the PSAC playoffs where they upset the top-seeded Warriors 55-50.
Last season, the Warriors got there revenge, defeating KU twice, including a 72-48 ass-kicking in the last game of the regular season, officially eliminating the Golden Bears from playoff contention. It was the first time KU missed the playoffs in 12 years.
Probable Starters:
ESU:
F- # 45 – Monika Fogelsanger
G- #11 – Keri Cahill
G- #20 – Mel Villano
G- # 32 – DeAnna Rayam
G- # 43 – Jackie Yandrisevits
Kutztown:
C- # 53 – Mercedes Van Wagner (pictured above)
F- # 23 – Melissa McQuade
F- # 15 – Rachel Weidensaul
G- # 13 – Meredith Starr
G- # 5 – Lara Dellegrotti
Scouting Report:
KU’s success will hinge on its ability to stop Yandrisevits. The junior guard is averaging just over 15 points and 6 rebounds a game this season for ESU. If she has a big day, KU could be in trouble. The Golden Bears are generally an outstanding defensive team, but the Warriors come in with a relatively deep team. Unlike the game against Cheyney, the KU defense will be unable to rely on forcing the Warriors to shoot mid range jumpers and three pointers. ESU is expected to start 4 guards and, despite an average team shooting percentage, open looks from the three point arc could result in a field day for the Warriors.
The Golden Bears will have the size advantage in this game and must use it to their advantage. McQuade, Weidensaul and Van Wagner each need to find ways to score in the lane. Coach Malouf may be tempted to counter ESU with an extra guard on the floor, but KU should try to slow down the game and win by dominating the front court.
Prediction:
If the Cheyney game was a must win for KU, this one is a must-must win. The Golden Bears will fall out of the driver’s seat for a PSAC playoff berth with a loss, forcing them to play catch-up the rest of the season with tough road games at Mansfield, Millersville, and Cheyney on tap. With that said, expect KU to come out as motivated as ever. Van Wagner will have a big day inside, scoring near 20 points and notching a double-double. McQuade will be able to get to the net and will also hit double digits in scoring. KU will contain, but not stop Yandrisevits. ESU will struggle to score, as is usually the case for KU opponents, and despite turning the ball over 10 more times than the Warriors, the Golden Bears will sneak away with a close win.
ESU 59
KUTZTOWN 61
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