KUTZTOWN, Pa. – What a difference one month makes. On Jan. 11, Kutztown beat Millersville 89-88 inside Pucillo Gymnasium, but on Monday night in Kutztown, Millersville rolled to its eighth-straight victory and sent Kutztown to its eighth-straight loss by an 89-59 score.
That January meeting between Millersville and Kutztown served as a turning point in the season for both teams. Millersville has not lost since and Kutztown has not won since. The difference between the two games? Defense. In the first match-up, Millersville allowed Kutztown to shoot nearly 52% from the field but held the Golden Bears to 36.7% on their home floor Wednesday night. Jalen Bryant and Robert Tucker combined for 54 points in January, but Millersville held Bryant to two points on 0-of-5 shooting, and Tucker managed 15 (12 fewer) Wednesday. Millersville has now held four consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points for the first time since the 1955-56 season.
"It's really about the growth of this group," said Millersville head coach
Casey Stitzel. "That first Kutztown game was our low point of the season. To come full circle, on a Monday night, a late start after a double overtime women's game, fourth game in a week, and they were ready...The culture on this team is good. The Kutztown game was the maddest I've been, and the team heard about it in practice the next day. The seniors have answered the call, and it's been contagious. I'm proud of the growth we've made."
Matt Dade led the Marauders with 12, getting to the line with frequency and converting with efficiency, hitting 6-of-6.
Drew Stover also scored 12 points. Freshmen
Day Waters and
Keith Mency and redshirt sophomore
Jahme Ested all scored 11. Millersville out-rebounded Kutztown 43-28, shot 51.6% from the field and 50% from three.
"It was the second game in a row where we really beat a team on the board and crashed the offensive glass," said Stitzel. "We are sharing the ball on offense and multiple guys are playing well on the offensive end which makes us tough to guard. We played inside out and knocked down threes."
Millersville led for 40 minutes and steadily grew the lead throughout the first half. Kutztown trailed 30-20 with fewer than four minutes remaining, but the Marauders closed the half on a 13-4 run that included 6-of-6 shooting from the free throw line and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from
Justin Nwosu.
Mekhi Hendricks splashed a 3-pointer on Millersville's first possession of the second half, and the rout was on as the Marauders went on to shoot 18-of-30 (.600) with five 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes.
"Closing the half was important," said Stitzel. "We've had that 12-point lead and let it get back to three. Expanding the lead after the media timeout was big. Offensively we did a great job of utilizing all our weapons. We have seven, eight, nine guys who can get double figures every night."
Millersville's bench provided a spark in the first half and plenty of production in the second, scoring 41 of the team's points.
Millersville improved to 15-8 overall and 12-5 in PSAC play, remaining in second place in a crowded Eastern Division.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville's eight-game winning streak is now the longest active streak in the PSAC after IUP's 21-game streak ended at Mercyhurst Wednesday night. It is the second season in a row that Millersville has produced a winning streak of at least eight games.
• Millersville has won back-to-back games in Kutztown's Keystone Hall for the first time since 2013-14.
UP NEXT
• Millersville hosts Lock Haven Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., in a pivotal PSAC East match-up. Millersville and Lock Haven are two of three teams in a tie for second place in the division.
