Game Notes (PDF) I
Live Stats I
Live Video I
Live Audio
TICKETS
All students from PSAC institutions will be admitted free with a valid student ID. The PSAC mandates the prices for adults at $10 and students at $5.
Tickets will be available for purchase at the Keystone Arena box office on Saturday and Sunday. All ticket sales are
CASH ONLY and non-refundable. Tournament passes are not available, attendees must purchase a separate ticket on Saturday and Sunday.
STORYLINES
• Last time out: Cal U claimed an 80-68 victory over Gannon in the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament after scoring 43 points off turnovers.
• Cal U has advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament for the fourth time in the past five years, while Kutztown has reached the semifinals for the first time since 2010.
ABOUT THE VULCANS
• In her eighth season as head coach,
Jess Strom ranks second in school history with 189 victories behind a pair of 30-win seasons.
• The Vulcans lead the PSAC and rank fourth in the country with both 14.0 steals per game and a plus-10.32 turnover margin per game.
• Senior
Seairra Barrett became only the second player in league history to be chosen both the Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year in the same season.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS
• The all-time winningest coach in school history, Janet Malouf
ranks fourth in PSAC history with 371 victories over her 25 years at Kutztown.
• The Golden Bears rank second, behind only the Vulcans, in the PSAC this season with 19.59 turnovers forced per game while collecting 9.4 steals per game.
• Sophomore Rylee Derr, who earned All-PSAC West First-Team laurels, sits second in the league with 85 three-pointers made while scoring 17.1 points per game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
• Cal U and Kutztown did not meet in the regular season, but played six times in the previous seven years with the Vulcans winning all six contests.
• The Vulcans have won their last 10 meetings against teams from the PSAC East in the league tournament, dating back to the 2015 PSAC Championship.
• Strom earned her first career victory at Kutztown on Dec. 9, 2011 while making her debut as interim head coach.
SEMIFINAL SUCCESS
With its quarterfinal win over Gannon, Cal U advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament for fourth time in five years. The Vulcans boast a 15-0 record in semifinal appearances with all but four semifinal wins being by double-digits. Cal U advanced to the semifinals for 11-consecutive seasons from 2001-11, while Kutztown is making its four appearance in the semifinals in the past 25 years (1998, 1999, 2006, 2010).
AROUND THE STATE
All four of the higher seeds won in quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament on Wednesday. As the highest remaining seed from the PSAC East, Kutztown will host the semifinals and finals on March 9-10. The Golden Bears are hosting the championship of the PSAC Tournament for the first time in program history after earning a share of the divisional title for the first time since 1996.
ELITE COMPANY
Senior
Seairra Barrett was selected both the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year on Thursday. She joins Sara McKinney, Kayla Smith and Miki Glenn as the only players in program history to be named both the PSAC West Freshman of the Year and PSAC West Athlete of the Year in their careers. Barrett was previously chosen the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year as a sophomore in 2016.
LONG DISTANCE
Kutztown ranks second in the PSAC this season with both 240 three-pointers made and 721 three-pointers attempts. Sophomore Rylee Derr leads the league with 252 three-pointers attempts and sits second in the conference with 85 three-pointers made. She has made at least five treys in a game six times this year, including a single-game school record nine three-pointers versus East Stroudsburg this season when she scored 32 points.
SURGING SPORIO
Senior
Abbey Sporio has been one of the top players in the PSAC over the last month. She is averaging 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals over the last eight games. Sporio has scored in double-digits in each of those contests, recording a double-double at Seton Hill and tying her career with 22 points versus Gannon on Wednesday. Sporio ranks second in the league and among the top 25 in the country with 2.68 steals per game.
DEFENSE WINS
This weekend will feature the premier defenses in the PSAC, as all of the semifinalist teams rank among the top four in the league in scoring defense. The Vulcans sit second in the conference at 59.3 points per game, while the Golden Bears are fourth at 63.4 points per game. Kutztown has allowed 70 points or more only once in its last 14 games, while Cal U has yielded 70-plus points only three times all season.
CLOSING IN
Senior
Seairra Barrett enters the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament on pace to reach multiple scoring milestones. She is only one point shy of recording the eighth 600-point season by a player in school history. Barrett also is only 11 points shy of tying Lara Thornton (1990-94) for fifth place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,892 points. Thornton still holds the single-game school record and PSAC Tournament record with 46 points versus Clarion in the 1994 title game behind 12 three-pointers.
FIRST TICKET PUNCHED
Virginia Union repeated as the CIAA Champions and won its third league title in four years last weekend with a 75-41 victory over Fayetteville State. With the win, the Panthers received the automatic qualifier from the CIAA into the NCAA Tournament. The MEC Championship and PSAC Championship will both be played on Sunday and the winners will earn an automatic qualifier. The field and pairings for the NCAA Tournament will be announced on Sunday via a live webstream on NCAA.com at 10 p.m.