BEN NAMED LEHIGH VALLEY SMALL COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) was named the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Media Organization’s Player of the Year for the third straight season Tuesday.

Ben, who is second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in scoring with 22.4 points per game, has helped the 2008-09 Kutztown University men’s basketball team to a 20-3 overall record, which includes two winning streaks of nine games.

KU is currently in first place at 9-1 in the PSAC East after winning nine straight divisional games.

Ben has averaged 23.8 points over the last nine games, including a 36-point performance at West Chester, where he hit a school record eight 3-pointers.

Also during the nine-game winning streak, Ben posted 22 points at home against Mansfield on Jan. 21, moving him into first place on KU’s scoring list. He currently has 1,857 points.

In addition to his 22.4 points per game, Ben is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game. He has 90 assists, 56 steals and 16 blocks. He’s shooting 51.5 percent from the field, including 39.5 percent (45-of-114) from 3.

During his four years at KU, Ben has an average of 17.6 points per game. He’s started in 103 games and since he first appeared on the floor of Keystone Hall, KU has won 72 games.

Ben becomes the first men’s player to win the LVSCBMO Player of the Year award three times. Alyssa Antolick (DeSales/East Stroudsburg) was a three-time winner on the women’s side in 2004-05 and 2007.

The award is given to the top player in the Lehigh Valley area. Voting is conducted by the organization's members, including media from the Lehigh Valley, as well as coaches and sports information directors from Cedar Crest, Delaware Valley, DeSales, East Stroudsburg, KU, Moravian and Muhlenberg.

The player of the year award is named in memory of longtime East Stroudsburg sports information director Pete Nevins, who was one of the founding members of the organization. Nevins passed away in 2007.