WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. (March 13, 2010) – Stephen Dennis (West Chester, PA/Henderson) tried everything in his spectacular arsenal to will the Kutztown University men's basketball team to victory in its NCAA Atlantic Regional first round game against third-seeded Saint Augustine's. Unfortunately, everywhere Dennis turned he was met by two and sometimes three Falcon defenders. (BOXSCORE) (PHOTO GALLERY)
Yet, through it all, Dennis kept attacking and driving hard to the basket. However, when the final buzzer sounded and the Daktronics Atlantic Regional Player of the Year walked off the court for the last time in a maroon-and-gold uniform, his 20 points weren't enough to keep his terrific career and the Golden Bears' outstanding season alive.
Kutztown shot a season low 27 percent in its 70-54 defeat to Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) champion Saint Augustine's Saturday night at West Liberty University's ASRC. With the win, the Falcons (27-4) advance to Sunday's second round where they will battle the winner of the No. 2 seed West Liberty State/No. 7 Alderson-Broaddus game at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Kutztown closed out its second consecutive 20-win season with a 23-8 overall record.
“I can't say that I am really disappointed because we played hard,” Dennis said. “Saint Augustine's is a good defensive team and we didn't knock down our shots. All of the credit goes to them. They were aggressive with us and pressured me all over the court and then tried to deny me when I didn't have the ball.”
Also reaching double figures for the Golden Bears were juniors Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area High School) (13 points). The Falcons were paced by the triumvirate of Hayward Fain, who had 18 points, Chris Jordan, who finished with 12 points and Jeremy Banks, who added 10 points.
Dennis finished his career with 2,406 points, third on the all-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference scoring list. He also ended his career as the school leader in assists (447), free throws made and field goals made. However, Dennis evolved into a phenomenal performer during his four years and lifted the Kutztown men's basketball program to unprecendented heights.
“Playing here has been a big learning experience for me,” Dennis said. “When I came here, I didn't have a clue as to how to be a point guard, but playing under coach Driscoll, he forced me to become a leader. He helped my game and in turn, I learned how to get my teammates into the game and get my shot. I enjoyed my career here at Kutztown.”
Dennis got the Golden Bears off to a quick start, scoring eight of his teams' first 12 points. Unfortunately for Kutztown, the Falcons began to get comfortable and hit some shots. Dennis gave Kutztown its final lead of the game, 12-11, on a driving layup with 10 minutes, nine seconds remaining in the first half. The Falcons took the lead for good, 14-12, after Nick Chamblee sank a 3-pointer with 7:53 remaining.
The Golden Bears trailed, 30-21 at intermission because of 22.2 percent shooting. Then in the second half, foul trouble hurt Kutztown. The Falcons were shooting foul shots for the final 14:55 of the contest.
“Foul trouble hurt us,” Driscoll said. “But Saint Augustine's is a pretty tenacious defensive team and they're aggressive on the boards. They did a nice job. We made a couple of nice runs in the second half but we couldn't get over the hump. They were pretty physical with us and pushed off screens really well.”
Despite its shooting difficulties, the Golden Bears continued to battle like champions and play hard. Gray made a 3-pointer with 17:29 remaining that cut Saint Augustine's advantage to 35-29. Later in the second half, Kutztown closed to 39-33 following Ryan Washington (Philadelphia, PA/Wissahickon)'s finger roll with 14:49 remaining. That would be as close as Kutztown would get. The Golden Bears had two possessions to get closer but could not.
While, the Golden Bears went nearly four minutes without a basket, Saint Augustine's stretched its lead to 46-33 with 11:09 remaining. Kutztown made one final charge behind Gray, who scored five straight points that brought the Golden Bears to within, 60-51, with 2:20 remaining.
However, it wasn't meant to be for the Golden Bears.
Dennis' final point of his career was a foul shot with 1:19 remaining. As the game ended, Dennis walked to the KU bench lined-up and shook hands with Falcon players. Some of them embraced Dennis as a sign of respect. Then he trudged upstairs to the locker room with assistant coach Ricky Hicks by his side.
“It's been a joy to coach a player like Stephen the last four years,” Driscoll said. “Even though the game was a little physical, his demeanor never changed throughout the game. Everybody respects Stephen for how hard he played. It was a just a treat to have Stephen the last four years and he's the best player I've ever coached. I know he's going to have a great career where it may be.”
Dennis will participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for NBA scouts, in April. He is a finalist for the Division II national player of the year award. Dennis helped Kutztown win consecutive PSAC East titles, make two straight trips to the NCAA Division II tournament and he led them to 87 victories over a four-year period.
His signature effort was keeping his teammates focused and together when a three-game losing streak in late February threatened to end the Golden Bears' season much earlier than expected. Instead, fueled by Dennis' determination, leadership and breathtaking ability, the Golden Bears won their final regular season game and advanced to the PSAC title game.
Dennis is the only senior departing a talented roster that gained plenty of experience playing on the big stage of the NCAA Division II tournament. Washington, who was a first team all PSAC East selection, and Gray, a second team all PSAC East selection, anchor a loaded group of returning veterans.
“We could've quit as a team after the 20-game mark of the season and we were going through some tough times,” Dennis said. “But we continued to fight and work hard as a team. I am proud of my team for our season and we have nothing to be ashamed of. We battled hard tonight, but we just fell a little short.”
KU
