MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – If it isn't one thing, it's another. That is the reality for the Millersville Marauders after Kutztown's 89-88 win in Pucillo Gymnasium Wednesday night. Following a month of struggles, the Marauders got right on the offensive end Wednesday, putting four players in double-figures, shooting 50% from the field and scoring their most points in two months. But Millersville's always reliable defense failed it in a big way in the second half as Kutztown shredded the Marauders for 56 points on 69.2% shooting in the final 20 minutes. 

Millersville (7-7, 4-4 PSAC) has now dropped four of its last five, but the previous three losses were all about an inability to score. Millersville shot 50% from the floor for the third time all season against Wednesday. Millersville led by five at the half, but Kutztown made its first five shots of the second period, and every open shot dropped through the hoop. Inside, it was Robert Tucker scoring 18 of his 27 points in the final 20 minutes while totaling 14 rebounds. On the outside, it was Jalen Bryant slashing his way to 27 to share game-high honors. Kutztown hit 18-of-26 shots and 16-of-19 free throws in the second half and led by as many as seven. Millersville made a run, but key mistakes in the final minute prevented the comeback. 

"Right from the start tonight, we had no pop," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "It's the way the season has gone. We go from not being able to score and guarding well to scoring and not guarding well. It's very frustrating. I know we have a young team, but they've got to take what they've learned in practice into the game. We have a lot of work to do to get better."

The Marauders trailed 85-78 with 1:37 to play, but Jahme Ested hit a 3-pointer, and Matt Dade tied up Brendan Boyle in a trap for a jump ball and steal. Keith Mency drilled a 15-foot jumper, and the 5-0 run put Millersville with two. Kutztown ran the shot clock under five, and seemingly the for the first time all half, Millersville got the stop it needed. Mekhi Hendricks stuffed Bryant's layup at the rim, and the Marauders, with numbers, pushed the ball quickly ahead. Directly in front of the Millersville bench, Mency's dribble glanced off his foot and out of bounds with 27 seconds remaining. Forced to foul, the Marauders sent Bryant to the line, and he hit both to push the lead back to four. Dade scored a quick bucket and had a chance for a three-point play with 15 seconds left but missed the free throw. 

Millersville pressured off the miss and nearly came up with a steal in the backcourt, but Kutztown reached the loose ball with a dive and found Bryant, who was fouled with three seconds to play. Bryant made both foul shots to seal the Kutztown win. 

"To their credit, the team fought to get back in it, but we dribble it off our foot on a fast break with guys open," said Stitzel. "Hopefully, failure will help them learn. You hope they can learn from it. I know we have a young team, but they have to learn quicker, make an adjustment and apply the experience they've gotten in the last two months."

Bryant scored 20-plus points for the fourth time in five games. He scored 15 in the second half including 9-of-9 shooting from the line. Tucker's 27 points were a career-high. The duo combined for more than half of Kutztown's second-half points. Millersville had allowed just three 20-point performances prior to Wednesday's game, and both Bryant and Tucker scored more than any other player against Millersville this year. Kutztown's 56 second-half points was one fewer than Shepherd scored in the entire 40 minutes against Millersville four days earlier. 

"On offense, we sliced up their 3-2 zone, and we did a good job against man," said Stitzel. "On defense, it's a mentality. They outworked us. We just sat behind the post player, let him take two dribbles and score. We continue to do things that don't work. We wasted one of our best offensive games of the year with too many fouls, bad turnovers and not guarding."  

Millersville made 34 shots and nine threes and totaled 18 assists--all the highest totals since the third game of the season. It was the first time in six games that four Marauders scored 10-plus points. 

Drew Stover finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Dade totaled 16. Ested recorded 15 points and six assists. Mency chipped in 12 points. 

Before Wednesday, Millersville was 7-1 when leading at the half and 2-0 when shooting 50% from the field. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville is at home against Saturday, Jan. 14 against PSAC East-leading East Stroudsburg, which brings a 12-1 record to Pucillo Gymnasium.