Kutztown boys basketball squad earns playoff berth.
Ridgeway sets assist record
Men’s Basketball
The ninth-ranked Kutztown University men’s basketball team recorded its 12th straight win in a 113-75 victory over Cheyney University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup inside Alfred Cope Hall.
With the win, the Golden Bears have improved their record to 20-2 on the season, notching back-to-back 20-win seasons as well as the sixth 20win season in program history.
One game removed from breaking the school record for single-season assists, KU junior Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) outdid himself by dropping 14 dimes against the Wolves, breaking the school record for most assists in a game.
The record had been 20 years old until Ridgeway’s stellar performance. Ridgeway’s output was also done in a mere 23 minutes.
Ridgeway now has 394 career assists and needs 12 to pass Eddie McTague for the third spot on the leaderboard for career assists.
Kutztown wasted little time getting into a rhythm as it jumped out to a quick 23-10 lead with 12:43 left in the first half.
The Golden Bears continued their high octane offense and eventually extended their lead to 21 with 4:43 left in the half. The Golden Bears entered the second half with a sizeable lead of 61-29.
The second half proved to be a similar story as Kutztown’s smallest lead of the half was a 26-point margin.
For the first time this season, Kutztown had all 14 of its players score in
the contest.
Leading the team in scoring was Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington), who finished with 20 points, four assists and two steals. Lee bounced back from a subpar shooting performance against Mansfield and finished 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) and Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) were tied for second on the team with 14 points apiece. Johnson finished with eight rebounds while Connolly hit two 3-pointers.
Dan Cuevas (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to six, tallying 10 points. He also finished with four rebounds and two blocks.
Kutztown’s bench had one of its best performances this season with a total of 49 points.
Wrestling
Four of the 10 matches Thursday night were not contested due to injuries on both sides, but the Kutztown University wrestling team made the most of its opportunities in its 39-6 win over Shippensburg University in dual-meet action at Heiges Field House.
KU won all six of the contested matches against Shippensburg - five of which came by decision. KU was forced to forfeit 149, but Shippensburg gave up threestraight classes from 174 to 197 to add to KU’s point total.
No. 11 Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) opened the night with a closely-contested 125-pound match. Not many points were scored as Petril escaped with a 2-1 decision.
Lucas Miller (Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown Area) and Mikey O’Brien (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) followed with wins by decision as well, with Miller winning 5-2 at 133 and O’Brien winning 5-3 at 141 to give KU a 9-0 lead.
Shippensburg gained six points through a KU forfeit at 149 to bring the score to 9-6.
Another decision went Kutztown’s way at 157, as Bill Manley (Monroe Township, Pa./Tunkhannock Area) took a 5-2 decision to increase KU’s lead to 12-6.
No. 6 T.C. Warner (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Bloomsburg)) pinned his opponent at 165 in 5:40 to give KU an 18-6 lead. Following the three Shippensburg forfeits, No. 10 Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) closed out the match with a 2-1 decision at heavyweight.
Women’s Basketball
The Kutztown University women’s basketball team posted its third-straight win, defeating Cheyney University 78-56 on the road in its second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup of the season on Saturday afternoon.
Its third-straight victory leaves Kutztown (10-16, 7-11 PSAC) tied for fourth place in the PSAC with four contests remaining in the season.
Three Golden Bears reached double-digit figures on the evening. Alex Heck (Willow Grove, Pa./ Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia U.)) led the charge for the Golden Bears with a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds. Bolstered by Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) and Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) with 12 points each, the Kutztown bench outscored the Wolves 39-22.
Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area), racking up her 54th triple of the season, currently sits ninth in single-season program history in 3-pointers.