KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The Millersville Marauders are starting to figure out how to win on the road. Led by Montell Cooper's season-high 22 points, the Marauders topped Kutztown 93-78 for their second consecutive road win. 

Millersville (10-7, 6-4) had gone 2-5 in its first seven away games, averaging just 74 points per game entering the week. But then Millersville put up 81 at Mansfield on Wednesday and shot 52.9% from the field Saturday for its best shooting performance in a road game since Nov. 16. Four other Marauders joined Cooper in double figures with Drew Stover scoring 20, Jahme Ested adding 17, Aiden Gair hitting five 3-pointers for 15 points, and Saraj Ali chipping in 11.  Ested flirted with a triple-double, matching career highs with 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

"I think the energy has been better the last two games," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "We didn't have great energy on the glass in the first half, and they responded to the challenge we gave them at halftime. We have to be better at putting both sides of the ball together--can't turn it over on offense, and on defense stick to our principles, our scout and rebound. This week was a good step compared to last week. We have to keep getting better every time we play. It's good when you can get two road wins in a week."
 
It was a three-point Millersville lead at halftime and Kutztown grabbed a 51-50 advantage with 15:37 to play. But Gair sank a three that started a 17-2 Millersville run, and Millersville out-scored the home team 43-27 over the final 15-plus minutes. Gair canned four of his 3-pointers in that stretch, and Ested totaled 12 of his points in the second half while Millersville shot 60.6%. 

"A lot of guys stepped it up," said Stitzel. "Jahme was awesome, getting steals and getting us into transition. I thought Aiden maybe played his best game. Drew was solid even in foul trouble. Montell was great. Saraj had a nice second half. We are lethal when we get into transition. We balled on the glass, and it's always good to get 20-plus assists. 
 
Millersville produced more than 20 assists for the second consecutive game, improving to 9-2 when totaling at least 15. The Marauders also controlled the glass 46-31 and are now 7-1 when securing at least 40 rebounds. 

"We have to continue to emphasize rebounding and sharing the ball," said Stitzel. "Field goal percentage defense, sharing it and not turning it over. Those are the three barometers. If those three things are positive we can beat anyone. When they aren't we can lose to anyone. We will keep talking about it, emphasizing it, and it will be important to do those things Wednesday in a big game. It will be good to be home after two weeks on the road."

UP NEXT
After four consecutive road games, Millersville is back at Pucillo Gymnasium on Wednesday, Jan. 22 for a PSAC East rivalry game against East Stroudsburg.