Box Score

Kutztown, Pa. — Jason Blake led a quartet of Marauders in double figures, but late in the game it was Stephen Dennis time. Arguably the most dominant player in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Dennis scored 31 points to carry his No. 21 Kutztown squad past the Millersville men's basketball team, 77-69, in an Eastern Division contest on Saturday afternoon at Keystone Hall.

The teams engaged in their own old-west style shootout in the first half, firing off rounds of 3-pointers at each end. Dennis and Julius Gray both pumped in a pair of triples as the Golden Bears (19-3, 6-3 PSAC East) snatched an early lead. Millersville (7-15, 2-7 PSAC East) responded with two threes of its own from Palmer McDurfee and trailed by five points or less for a majority of the half.

Jim Kelleher rained in three shots from deep in a matter of 2:16 to pull the Marauders within 33-30 late in the half. Dennis connected on back-to-back jumpers and Ryan Washington converted a lay-up on Kutztown's second to last possession of the half finishing off a mini 6-2 KU run which gave the homestanding Golden Bears a 39-32 cushion heading to the locker room.

Things haven't gone well for Millersville in close games this season. The Marauders entered play on Saturday with just two wins in their last eight games decided by 10 points or less, but one thing they are not lacking is fight. MU once again showed that fight for coach Fred Thompson in the second half.

Rob Wyley and Blake opened the half with buckets for Millersville to slice KU's lead to three. Wyley then finished at the rim and was fouled, converting the 3-point play with 15:23 to go to cap a 7-0 Marauder run that tied the game for the first time all afternoon.

Dennis and his Golden Bear teammates could not break the Black and Gold over the next five minutes. Four times Kutztown jumped ahead by a possession and every time Millersville answered. Blake, who finished with a team-high 15 points, made one of two free throws with 9:45 remaining to send the Marauders to the lead for the first time.  Dennis quickly put KU back in front with a highlight-reel two-handed slam off of a steal, but Alen Ahmetovic coolly sunk a turnaround jumper the next time down to trade the lead on the seesaw once again.

Unfortunately the 50-49 lead was the final one Millersville would see. Dennis and Tamir Johnson spearheaded a 15-4 run that gave Kutztown a 64-54 lead with less than three minutes to go.

While Blake came up a rebound shy of a double-double, he was hardly the only Marauder to almost accomplish the feat. Wyley had 11 points and nine boards and Ahmetovic scored 12, also collecting eight rebounds. Palmer McDurfee rounded out the double-figure scoring for MU with 10.

It was yet another monster game for Dennis in a season full of them. Millersville's zone defense managed to force the senior guard into an 11-of-22 shooting day, but the silky smooth ballhandler still managed to come up with a game-high 31 points. Dennis also grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked six shots and gave out four dimes as he never rested in playing all 40 minutes. Gray (12 points), Johnson (10 points), and Washington (10 points) all had nice days with the Golden Bears putting four guys in the double-figure scoring column. Washington collected a double-double with 10 boards.

Millersville returns to action on Monday night against Shippensburg at Pucillo Gymnasium. The game, which was originally slated for Wednesday, Feb. 10, was twice postponed due to last week's heavy snowfall. Game time on Monday night is set for 8 p.m.