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Woodlin's Work Ethic Pays Dividends for Golden Bears

By Rich Scarcella
Reading Eagle

Andre Woodlin helped lead Central High School to the Philadelphia Public League championship four years ago, but he felt like no one noticed.

While Scott Rodgers, Central's top scorer, signed to play at Drexel, Woodlin, the second-leading scorer, waited for phone calls from Division I and II coaches that did not come.

"It didn't seem like it was going to happen," Woodlin said. "I thought I was kind of stuck. I thought I would be paying my own way to go to college.

"Eric Worley, his AAU coach, reached out to him. Worley, a former player at West Chester, called Kutztown coach Bernie Driscoll, a former Golden Rams assistant, and told him about Woodlin.

"Coach, this kid can play," Worley told Driscoll.

Woodlin wound up signing with Kutztown, where he has helped the Golden Bears win back-to-back Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East titles for the first time in school history.

They will make their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 21 years when they face West Virginia State in an Atlantic Regional opener Saturday at noon in Erie.

"I told him before the year, 'Andre, Dave (Ben) and Steve (Dennis) are great players, but our chances of winning the (PSAC East) title runs through you,' " Driscoll said. "Andre's the glue."Woodlin arrived at KU as a player who did the little things, like guard, pass and rebound. He still does those, but he has made himself into an outstanding 3-point shooter.

Last Friday, he buried a 3-pointer against Slippery Rock in the PSAC semifinals to become the 20th member of the Bears' 1,000-point club, quite an achievement for someone who didn't score 500 points in high school.

He wouldn't crack a smile, not during a game. After it was over, though, his emotions won out in a corner of the locker room.

"I think I cried," he said. "It all hit me at once. All the time I put in. . . 'Wow, I did all that and it finally worked out for me. Hard work does pay off.'

"Coach Driscoll and Coach York (assistant coach Tom York) believed in me. They thought I could be better than what I was. That's all I wanted to do, be better than I was yesterday."

Woodlin needed his work ethic after he broke two bones in his leg two years ago at Clarion. Kutztown, 11-2 when he was injured and lost for the season, finished 17-11.

"He was important that year," Dennis said. "He would lock down the other team's best scorer. We thought we could win the PSAC East that year. With him gone, our whole defense slacked off. We started losing."

He rebounded by averaging 13.7 points a game last season and being named to the All-PSAC East second team. This season, he's the second-best 3-point shooter in the PSAC (44.1 percent) and scoring 14.6 points a game.

"I always had a chip on my shoulder," Woodlin said. "Everybody always told me I couldn't do it, even in high school. Even when I got here, I heard people saying that. It gave me more motivation."

"Andre's the hardest-working young man I've seen," Driscoll said. "He's in the gym all the time working on his game. He's not the most gifted athlete. He's not the fastest kid out there. He just has a huge heart."

Washington, Bower hit career highs, KU moving on to region final

Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) stepped up big for the Kutztown University men's basketball team, scoring a career-high 28 points in a 92-86 win over Indiana (Pa.) in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region semifinals Sunday at Hammermill Center.

Washington shot 12-of-14 from the floor for the Golden Bears (28-4), who shot 53.7 percent for the game, including a 54.5 percent clip from 3-point range.

Mark Bower (sr. West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) also scored a career-high 16 points, as KU had five players in double figures.

For Washington, the career-high came against his old team and helped out his teammates Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) and Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville). KU's two leading scorers managed a combined one point after halftime.

"It's big for me to step up," Washington said. "I'm not the leading scorer on this team, so it's big to step up."

He picked the biggest of games to do so, advancing KU into its first regional final in school history. The Golden Bears have already won more games overall and in the postseason than any other team in school history.

Dennis finished with 13 points and Ben scored nine, falling just one short of 2,000 for his career.
Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) had his second straight double-digit game, posting 11 points. He had one of KU's six 3-pointers.

The Golden Bears started the game off hitting all six of its 3-point attempts, opening up the paint for Washington and Bower to work.

KU never trailed in the game, building a 15-point lead at 31-16 with 8:40 left in the first half. The Golden Bears hot shooting forced Indiana to use all but one of its allotted timeouts in the half.

Driscoll, who is 2-0 in the NCAA tournament, took his Golden Bears into the locker room with a 50-39 lead, but an injury to Dennis limited his play in the second half. Dennis is expected to be ready to go for Tuesday's final.

Indiana cut into the lead and made it a four-point game at 65-61 with 9:53 left, but a 12-5 run led by eight points from Washington made it 77-66, sealing it for KU.

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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.

Dennis, Ben Score 22 as KU Extends Record Winning Streak

Kutztown (19-3, 8-1 PSAC East) 84

Mansfield (13-8, 6-3 PSAC East) 79

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) and Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) scored 22 points each to lead Kutztown to an 84-79 win at Mansfield in PSAC East men's basketball action Wednesday night.

The win is a KU program record eighth-straight PSAC East victory, and gives the Golden Bears 19 wins, tying last year's mark for second-most wins in a season in KU history (the 1987-88 team holds the record with 21 wins). KU is 19-3 overall, 8-1 and in first place in the PSAC East.

Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) added 13 points and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Chris Pender led Mansfield (13-8, 6-3 PSAC East) with 16 points. Ryan Callahan and Justin Simmons had 14 points each and Chris Greene added 12.

Kutztown trailed 41-36 at halftime, but the Golden Bears used an 11-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead. Woodlin had five points during the run.

KU never trailed again, but the Mountaineers tied the score at 77 in the final minute on a free throw by Pender. Dennis quickly gave KU the lead, with a layup five seconds later. After an MU turnover, Dennis sank two free throws with 25 seconds left.

Greene's jumper with 17 ticks left made it 81-79 and Dennis made one-of-two free throws with 12 seconds remaining. MU ran down the clock for the final shot, but Callahan's 3-point attempt missed and KU got the rebound. Steve Coffey's (so. Reading/Wilson) two free thows with a second left accounted for the final scoring.

KU MEN'S BASKETBALL RANKED SIXTH IN ATLANTIC REGION

Jan. 29, 2009

The Kutztown University men’s basketball team is ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional poll released Wednesday.

Alderson-Broaddus (14-1) is ranked No. 1, followed by Gannon (12-2), Indiana, Pa. (12-2), Virginia Union (12-3) and Johnson C. Smith (13-4). Elizabeth City State (12-4), Edinboro (11-4), West Virginia State (12-4) and West Chester (12-5) round out the top 10.

After earning the ranking, KU defeated 10th-ranked West Chester in convincing fashion, 97-71, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East contest.

The Golden Bears (15-3, 4-1 PSAC East) are tied for first in the division with Cheyney (11-5, 4-1 PSAC East). The two teams finished the 2007-08 season tied for first.

KU is 14-3 in its last 17 PSAC East contests.

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville), who scored a career-high 36 points and hit a school record eight 3-pointers against West Chester, is leading the Golden Bears with 22.1 points per game. He’s shooting 50.4 percent from the floor.

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) is second with 19.9 points per game, Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) averages 13.9 and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) posts 13.3. Washington also is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.

Ben Scores Career High 36, Breaks 3-pointer Record In Rout At WCU

Jan. 28, 2009

Kutztown (15-3, 4-1 PSAC East) 97

West Chester (12-6, 3-2 PSAC East) 71

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) scored a career-high 36, including a school-record eight 3-point field goals, as Kutztown routed West Chester 97-71 in PSAC East men's basketball Wednesday night.

Ben was 12-of-16 from the floor and hit 8-for-9 3-point attempts, breaking KU's single-game record of seven held by five players. He was also 4-for-4 from the line and led all players with seven assists.

Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) scored 24 points, hitting 10-of-13 field goals and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) scored 13 points.

KU shot 62 percent in the game, including a blistering 74 percent in the second half. KU missed only seven shots after halftime, turning a 43-30 lead at the break into the 26-point rout.

Ben scored KU's final eight points of the first half to lead KU to the 13-point halftime edge. In the second half, the Golden Bears did not miss a shot for the first six minutes, stretching the lead to 23 on Woodlin's layup with 14:37 left.

Ben's eighth 3-pointer gave KU a 28-point lead with 11:47 left. The previous record was held by Butch Hills (1986), Keith Mackrey (1995), Adam Smith (2001), Ty Brickus (2002) and Frank Moultrie (2004).

KU remained tied for first place in the PSAC East with Cheyney, who defeated Millersville to also improve to 4-1 in the league. East Stroudsburg is 3-1 after its game at Mansfield was postponed to Thursday.

Dave Ben Sets Career Scoring Record, KU Wins 85-69 Over Minsfield

Jan. 21, 2009

Kutztown (13-3, 2-1 PSAC East) 85
Mansfield (8-7, 1-2 PSAC East) 69


It took longer than he would have liked, but with 1:36 left, Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) became the all-time scoring leader for the Kutztown University men’s basketball team Wednesday.

His two free throws gave him 22 points for the game, helping KU solidify an 85-69 win over Mansfield University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division contest at Keystone Hall.

Ben’s late free throws gave him 1,684 for his career, two better than Lock Jennings (1989-93), who owned the scoring record for 16 seasons.

“Dave Ben is a very special player,” KU head coach Bernie Driscoll said. “He was really worried about tonight, I’m glad he got it at home. He won’t tell you, but he was worried about it.”

Ben had only six points at halftime and nine points midway through the second half, but a late rally helped him finish with 22, leading all scorers.

He was one of five Golden Bears to finish in double-figures, as Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) had a career-high 16 points and Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson), Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) had 15 apiece.

Washington and Woodlin had double-doubles with 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively.

Gray hit four 3-pointers in the game as KU exploded for 54 second-half points.

Ben finished with five assists, opting to pass the ball away on several scoring chances. His teammates paid him back late as he, with 5:38 left, scored 11 of KU’s final 13 points.

A 3-pointer with 2:06 left, his only made shot from beyond the arc, gave him 20 points and tied the school record.

“As soon as I hit that 3, I said, ‘I’m getting it. I’m going hard. I’m not letting anyone stop me,’” Ben said.

He did just that, earning a trip to the free-throw line 30 seconds later. With one free throw, he set the new record and a timeout was taken so 1,115 fans at Keystone Hall could recognize Ben with a standing ovation.

“It’s just great getting it in front of the student body and everybody was showing me a lot of love,” said Ben, who was embraced by his mother, Donna Wright, during the timeout.

KU (13-3, 2-1 PSAC East), after shooting 37.5 percent in the first half, turned around to make 60.6 percent of its field goals in the second half.

Mansfield (8-7, 1-2 PSAC East) struggled all game, making just 39.4 percent.

The Mountaineers were led by Yuseff Carr, who had 13 points. Chris Greene had 11 and Lavail
Owens had 10.

Dennis Scores 27 in Rout of Millersville

Jan. 17, 2009

Kutztown (12-3, 1-1 PSAC East) 88

Millersville (6-9, 0-2 PSAC East) 65

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) led four Golden Bears in double figures as Kutztown University rolled to an 88-65 win over Millersville in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division men’s basketball Saturday night.

Dennis scored a game-high 27 points as KU (12-3, 1-1 PSAC East) jumped out to a 50-27 halftime lead.

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) inched closer to KU’s all-time scoring record with 19 points, and pulled down 12 rebounds, 11 on the defensive end. He also finished 7-for-11 at the free-throw line.

Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) had 18 points.

Ben is now 21 points away from taking sole possession of the school’s scoring mark and he’ll get the chance to break it when KU hosts Mansfield University Wednesday.

KU jumped out to a 17-3 lead quickly, as Millersville went on a scoring drought for nearly 5 1/2 minutes. The Golden Bears continued to apply the pressure offensively and defensively, taking a 23-point lead into halftime.

KU shot 58.8 percent (20-of-34) from the floor in the first half and 80 percent (8-of-10) from the free-throw line.

The Golden Bears, who lead the PSAC in shooting percentage, finished making 52.5 percent of their shots from the field.

Millersville shot just 36.9 percent from the field. Makal Stibbins led the Marauders with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Palmer McDurfee scored 13 points and Jason Blake had 11.

"23 Dedication" ep. 2

M.J. World Domination Tour

DENNIS BECOMES 19th GOLDEN BEAR TO REACH 1,000 POINTS

Dec, 3, 2008

Kutztown (5-0) 97
Chestnut Hill (0-5) 77

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) scored his 1,000th point Wednesday night and for a long stretch in the second half, it looked like he might come up short.

The Kutztown University men’s basketball team, however, never looked like it would come up short, routing Chestnut Hill 97-77 at Keystone Hall in a non-conference game.

Dennis, who scored 18 points in the first half, missed a few free throws and two jumpers midway through the second half, but he finally pushed his career total to 1,001 with a layup underneath with 3:24 left.

“It felt great,” Dennis said. “I came out strong with 18 in the first half, and then I was slow in the second half and I wasn’t sure I was going to get it, but I wound up pulling through.”

Dennis finished with 28 points, leading five Golden Bears in double digits.
Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) finished with 19 points, Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) had 15 and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) and Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) each had 12. Ben also led KU with nine assists and eight rebounds.

KU (5-0) used a 13-2 run midway through the first half to build a 27-15 lead. Chestnut Hill (0-5) cut the lead to nine points twice, but KU pulled away each time and eventually went into halftime with a 20-point lead, 48-28.

The Golden Bears shot 65.2 percent (30-of-46) from the floor, including an 8-for-12 clip from 3-point range. Gray led KU with three 3-pointers and Dennis had two.

Chestnut Hill slowed down the second half with 20 fouls — totaling 34 in the game — sending KU to the line a season-high 42 times.

Dennis was 6-of-9 from the free-throw line, missing a few early in the second half. Sitting at 999 points for his career, he knew he had to get the job done at home before the Golden Bears hit the road for their next game.

“I was working hard to get it here at home,” he said. “Since last week when I looked at the schedule, I said to coach, ‘I need to get it on this night.’ So Ryan Washington told me to get to the basket and I did.”

After the basket, KU head coach Bernie Driscoll called timeout and Dennis made a curtain call to the crowd of 650 at Keystone Hall.

Dennis is the 19th player in KU history to score 1,000 points. He is now tied for 17th on the list and joins Ben, who scored his 1,000th point last season, also in a win over Chestnut Hill.

That wasn't it for milestones against Chestnut Hill last season. Driscoll picked up his 100th career win in that same victory.

KU will travel to Penn State-Berks for a 3 p.m. tipoff Saturday.

KU Overcomes Second-Half Deficit to Down Holy Family and Stay Unbeaten

November 30, 2008

Kutztown (4-0) 87

Holy Family (1-5) 66

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) and Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) combined for 44 points to lead the Kutztown University men's basketball team to an 87-66 win at Holy Family University Sunday afternoon.

Dennis scored 23 points, dished out a career high nine assists and added seven rebounds and three steals. Ben scored 21 points, including 11 consecutive during a key second-half stretch that gave KU the lead for good.

Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) had 13 points and Mark Bower (sr. West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) scored 11 for KU (4-0). Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) hauled in nine rebounds and scored eight points.

Ceazer Johnson scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 15 boards for the Tigers (1-5). Justin Swidowski scored 16 points.

KU scored the game's first 11 points, but a 13-0 Holy Family run later in the first half knotted the score at 24-24. The Tigers broke a 37 all tie with the last five points of the first half and a 42-37 halftime lead.

Keith Whittington hit the first bucket of the second half for Holy Family's largest lead.
KU clawed back and then Ben took over. The senior guard's three-point play at the 15:08 mark tied the score at 48. Ben hit a layup on KU's next possession for the lead, then another three-point play and a 3-point field goal by Ben gave KU a 56-48 lead with 13:01 to play.

The Tigers closed to within four points with a little more than eight minutes to play, but a three-point play by Dennis and a 3-pointer by Woodlin gave KU a double-digit lead.

Dennis secured the game with 12 points down the stretch, going 4-for-4 from both the field and at the free throw line in the final 6:07.

KU returns to the court at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it hosts Chestnut Hill at Keystone Hall.

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