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.

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.

Ben's Drops Career-High 34 Points in 98-58 Win over Lock Haven

Jan. 11, 2009

Kutztown (11-2) 98
Lock Haven (2-11) 58

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) scored a career-high 34 points, leading the Kutztown University men’s basketball team to a 98-58 rout of Lock Haven University Sunday at Keystone Hall.

The Golden Bears (11-2) went up 49-21 at halftime of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover and never looked back, scoring another 49 points in the second half.

Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) recorded his second straight double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, 12 on the defensive end.

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) scored 15 points and had nine rebounds, seven steals, four assists and a block.

Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) had 11 points, shooting 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Ben’s 34 points pushes him to 63 points away from tying the school’s all-time scoring record.

KU outrebounded Lock Haven 61-44, and the Golden Bears were 48.8 percent from the floor, opposed to the Bald Eagles’ 26.9 percent.

KU will travel to East Stroudsburg to open up the PSAC East slate with an 8 p.m. matchup Wednesday.

Dennis, Washington Lead KU over Edinboro 91-85

Jan. 10, 2009

Kutztown (10-2) 91
Edinboro (10-2) 85

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) led the Kutztown University men’s basketball team to a come-from-behind win over Edinboro, 91-85 Saturday at Keystone Hall.

KU (10-2) trailed by 13, 77-64, with 7:40 left in the second half of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover, but the Golden Bears went on a 16-3 run to tie the game at 80-80 with 1:50 left.

Washington, who finished with a career-high 26 points, scored 10 points during the run. He also pulled down 15 rebounds for the double-double.

Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central), who had 16 points, accounted for the other six points in the 16-3 run.

Missed free throws allowed KU to crawl back, as Edinboro (10-2) missed 8-of-10 free throws in the final five minutes.

Meanwhile, KU was 11-of-12 from the stripe in during that span.

Dennis was 9-of-10 from the line and finished with a team-high 27 points, matching Edinboro’s leading scorer, Joe Jones.

Dennis’ steal with 1:18 left created an odd-man rush and allowed for Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) to give the Golden Bears the lead at 82-80 with a putback layup off of a Washington miss.

KU never looked back, keeping the lead with made free throws.

The Golden Bears made the comeback despite not hitting a single 3-pointer in the second half. Gray, who finished with10 points, had KU’s only two 3s, both early in the first half.

Edinboro controlled the first half, shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and taking a 48-36 lead into the break.

KU shot 40.0 percent, but bounced back to shoot 50.0 percent in the second half. Edinboro also cooled off, making just 35.5 percent of its field goals.

The Golden Bears also picked up the rebounding, turning a 10-rebound deficit at half into a four rebound advantage at the end, 46-42.

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) also reached double-digits, scoring 10 points, but fouled out with less than four minutes left in the game.

Vlad Kovalevsky scored 13 for Edinboro, and Chris Bess and Gil Cummings each had 11.

Ben's 32 points lifts KU in second half en route to 95-56 rout of UDC

Dec. 17, 2008

Kutztown (7-0) 95

District of Columbia (3-8) 56

Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) tied a career-high with 32 points in a 95-56 non-conference win over the University of the District of Columbia Wednesday at Keystone Arena.

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) joined in with 23 points as KU (7-0) had a huge second half, outscoring the Firebirds 54-19.

With 29 seconds left in the first half, it was a three-point game, but KU used a 29-9 run extending into the second half to jump ahead by 23 points, 67-44.

Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Dennis was second on the team with eight rebounds. Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) had 19 points.

The Firebirds (3-8) had four players in double-digits, too, with Kechan Myers leading the team with 14 points. David Burton had 11, Tim Ellison had 12 — all off of 3-pointers — and Ryan Wood had 11.

KU shot 52.4 percent from the floor in the second half, making 22-of-42 shots, while the District of Columbia made just 10-of-32 from the field (31.3 percent).

Dennis has now scored 20 or more points in six of KU’s seven games; Ben has done the same in five of seven.

With his seven assists, Ben moved his average to 5.2 per game.

The Golden Bears, who are off to their best start in 90 years, will look to remain unbeaten when they welcome in Philadelphia University for a non-conference 3 p.m. tip off Saturday at Keystone Arena.

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.

Second-Half Surge Lifts KU Over Goldey-Beacom

November 25, 2008
Kutztown (3-0) 94
Goldey-Beacom (2-3) 71

The Kutztown University men's basketball team used a 60-point second half to secure a 94-71 win over Goldey-Beacom at Keystone Hall Tuesday night.

The Golden Bears (3-0) had four players in double figures and three with at least 20. Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) and Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) each scored 22 points. Woodlin shot 10-of-12 from the field and added four assists on the night.

Guard Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half. Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) added 12 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks in the winning effort.

Coming off the bench with eight points was Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) in 29 minutes of play.

KU entered the half with the score 34-33 and led only 52-50 with just over 10 minutes to play. The Golden Bears used nine-point and 11-point runs to pull away from the Lightning (2-3).

The Golden Bears shot 65.2 percent in the second half on 21-of-32 shooting and 60.7 percent for the game. KU also took advantage at the charity stripe, making 15 free throws on the day.

The Golden Bears defended their territory with 12 team blocks, 30 defensive rebounds and six steals. The Lighting shot 28-of-70 from the field and 9-of-18 on free throws.

The men's basketball team will return to action on Sunday when they travel to Holy Family for a 4 p.m. tip-off.

"Dennis scores 22, KU rolls past University of Sciences 79-65"

November 22, 2008
Kutztown (2-0) 79
University of the Sciences (0-4) 65

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) led five players in double-digits as the Kutztown University men’s basketball team won 79-65 over the University of the Sciences at Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

Stephen Dennis Dennis scored a game-high 22 points, making 10-of-15 shots from the field, including a 2-for-2 showing from beyond the arc.Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) finished with 17 points, Andre Woodlin (sr. Philadelphia/Central) had 14 and Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) and Julius Gray (so. Lincoln/Oxford) each had 10. Ben and Washington each had five rebounds.

KU (2-0) led by just two points with 13:29 left in the first half, but put together a 13-2 run to take a 23-10 lead with 10:19 remaining.Dennis started the run with a 3-pointer and Woodlin capped it with one of his two 3-pointers. Ben was fouled while attempting a 3 in the middle of the run and sank all three of his free throws.

Leading by eight with 1:41 left in the half, Gray hit a 3-pointer to start a 20-5 run that extended into the second half. After the run, KU led 56-33 with 15:34 left. The closest USP came was within 12 points with 4:22 remaining.

KU shot above 50 percent in each half to finish 29-of-53 from the field (54.7 percent).
USP also shot well, making 56 percent of its shots; however, 23 turnovers helped KU run away with the win.

The Golden Bears will play their first home game of the 2008-09 season when they host Goldey-Beacom at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

"Dennis, Ben combine for 53 points as KU rolls past Wilmington"

Kutztown University Men's Basketball Game Recap
"Dennis, Ben combine for 53 points as KU rolls past Wilmington"
November 19, 2008
Kutztown (1-0) 99Wilmington (0-2) 64

Stephen Dennis (jr. West Chester/Henderson) and Dave Ben (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville) combined for 53 points to lead the Kutztown University men’s basketball team to a 99-64 season-opening win at Wilmington University Wednesday night.
Dennis scored 29 points, one short of his career high, hitting 9-of-13 from the field and all 10 free-throw attempts. He added five assists and five steals. Ben scored 24 points, hitting 10-of-20 field goals and three 3-pointers. He also dished out eight assists.
Ryan Washington (so. Philadelphia/Wissahickon) rounded out Kutztown’s scoring leaders with 12 points.

Blake Rubenstein scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats (0-2). Kevin Cooper scored 13 points and Dominque Barron added 11. Antonio Sherrod led all players with 10 rebounds.
Kutztown (1-0) never trailed in the game, leading by double digits less than eight minutes into to the first half. KU shot 53.8 percent from the field to take a 59-32 halftime lead. Dennis scored 25 of his points in the first half.

In the second 20 minutes, KU shot even better, connecting on 58.1 percent of its shots as the Golden Bears cruised to the 35-point win.

Kutztown returns to the court on Saturday as part of a doubleheader with the KU women’s basketball team at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Tip-off for the men’s game is at 3 p.m., after the women’s game, which starts at 1.