MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Drew Stover recorded a double-double and set a career-high with seven blocks, and Saraj Ali matched a career-high with 15 rebounds as the Millersville men's basketball team picked up a workmanlike 73-60 win over Kutztown Wednesday evening in Pucillo Gymnasium. 

The start of a four-game home stand began with a stellar defensive performance. Millersville held Kutztown to 33.9% shooting. Aamir Hurst, who also scored 15 points, blanketed Jalen Bryant, the PSAC's second-leading scorer, and held him to nine points--12 below his season average. Bryant torched the Marauders for 27 points in the first meeting of the season, and with Montell Cooper, Millersville's starting two-guard and two-time PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week, out for the season, the Bryant assignment fell to Hurst. His on-ball defense made driving lanes difficult to find, and Stover was a constant deterrent at the rim. Stover's seven blocks were two shy of the school record set by Antwine Moore in 1995 and the most since Bernard Brown's eight in 2011. Millersville kept Bryant, the PSAC's leader in free throw attempts, to just two free throws. He had just one field goal until the final two minutes and finished 3 of 13. 

"We trapped the ball screen a little more to get the ball out of his hands," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "I thought we did a better job off the ball, emphasizing being one-pass away, pressing into him and making him be 25-30 feet away from the basket when he caught the ball. Aamir stepped up, and he played a really nice defensive game and got six rebounds."

Aside from a four-minute stretch in the middle of the first half in which it went scoreless, Millersville controlled the game. Hurst ended the drought with a 3-pointer, and Millersville made eight of its next 10 shots, closing the final seven minutes of the first half on a 17-5 run. Hurst's 3-pointer near the 16-minute mark of the second half gave Millersville its first double-digit lead, and the Marauders stretched it to as many as 21 before coasting to the finish. 

Stover and Aiden Gair led the Marauders with 18 points apiece. Gair drilled 4 of 8 threes and made 7 of 13 shots overall, shooting off the dribble frequently--a new dimension to his offensive skill-set. 

"It's him understanding that the way teams guard him, he's got (attack) more," said Stitzel. "He's a very good passer. I thought he did a good job, and he was one of the only guys early who was engaged. He made some tough shots and played good basketball."

Stover's double-double was his team-leading fifth of the season. He also handed out four assists. Jahme Ested scored totaled 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added five assists. Ali's 15 boards were the most by a Marauder since Justin Nwosu's 19 in 2022. 

"Drew and Saraj set the tone at the glass," said Stitzel. "Kutztown's (post players) hurt us in the first game, so we challenged Saraj and Drew to be active with shot blocking and rebounding. They did a good job trapping the ball screen. They both played a nice game. Saraj didn't have his best offensive game, but he affected the game on the glass, and that's the sign of him becoming a winning player."

Millersville has won six in a row at home, improving to 9-2 in Pucillo Gymnasium. Millersville has also won five in a row--all by double-digits--against Kutztown. 

UP NEXT
Millersville continues its four-game home stand Saturday against Mansfield.