Men's Basketball
2003-04 PSAC Championships
Final Four at Cheyney University, Cheyney, PA

TUE 3/2 - PSAC Quarterfinals - KU 76, Mansfield 72 - Jeff Brickus’ (sr. Coatesville/Coatesville - see Athlete of the Week) steal with 2.2 seconds left sealed Kutztown’s dramatic 76-72 victory over Mansfield in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinal playoff game at Decker Gymnasium. Brickus led four players who scored in double figures for the Golden Bears with 21 points. He scored 15 points in the second half, including nine of Kutztown’s final 11 points. Bobby Eberhart (jr. Lancaster/JP McCaskey) added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyree Brickus (jr. Coatesville/Coatesville) scored 13 and Bilal Salaam (jr. Wilmington, DE/Howard) had 11 points and four blocks. With the Golden Bears up 75-72 with 12 seconds left, Mansfield took the ball out, but lost the ball. After a scramble to regain possession, MU came up with the ball, but was double-teamed and lost it again. Jeff Brickus came up with the loose ball and was fouled with 2.2 seconds left. He hit the first free throw to seal the victory. It was a see-saw battle. Kutztown took the game’s largest lead, 25-13, midway through the first half. Mansfield stormed back to take a 28-27 lead. The teams changed the lead twice more before the Mountaineers took a 42-40 lead into halftime. The Mountaineers took their largest lead of the game, 64-59, with 8:25 to play. Eberhart hit a layup then two free throws to pull KU to within one, and Jeff Brickus knifed into the lane for a layup with 4:55 to play. It was the first of five lead changes on five consecutive baskets. Brickus hit three straight Kutztown baskets, including a layup with 3:09 to play to give KU a 71-70 lead, which it never relinquished. Eberhart hit a breakaway layup off an assist by Jeff Brickus with 1:58 left, then Brickus scored with 1:40 remaining to make it 75-70. Mansfield pulled to within three, 75-72, with a pair of free throws with 1:19 left, but the Golden Bears clamped down on defense, preventing MU from getting off a three-point attempt in the game’s closing seconds. Kutztown held the Mounties to a season-low 36.5% shooting from the field, while hitting 46.5% of its own shots. The win was Kutztown’s first PSAC Playoff win since 1988.

FRI 3/5 - PSAC Semifinals - KU 91, California (PA) 84 - Kutztown advanced to its first PSAC Championship game in 16 years with a 91-84 win over No. 16 California (Pa.) in the PSAC semifinals at Cheyney. For Kutztown, Jeff Brickus scored 22 points, including 12-of-13 free throws and T.J. Mann (sr. Glenn Mills/Malvern Prep) added a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Mann hit 6-of-9 field goals. Kutztown took control of the game early and a 12-0 run gave the Golden Bears a 32-18 lead with 4:51 left in the first half. The Vulcans came storming back, outscoring Kutztown 15-2 over the remainder of the half, as Cal cut the Kutztown lead to just a single point, 34-33, to enter the intermission. Mann had eight points and seven rebounds in the half to lead the Golden Bears, who held the Vulcans to just 32 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes. After attempting just three free throws in the first half, Kutztown went to the line an astounding 34 times in the second half, making 26. The Golden Bears built the lead to as many as 13, when Frank Moultrie (so. Southampton/William Tenant) spun around a defender and nailed a three at the 8:27 mark to make the score 66-53. Kutztown maintained a double-digit lead for the next four minutes, until Cal mounted another late run. CUP cut the lead to just five, 78-73, with 3:10 left. Kutztown, though, hit 11-of-12 in the last 1:33 to hold off the Vulcans. Brickus and Mann led four players in double figures for Kutztown. Tyree Brickus and Salaam each scored 16. Salaam added eight boards and three blocks.

SAT 3/6 - PSAC Championship - IUP 83, KU 74 - Kutztown led early, but could not hold off a second half charge by Indiana (PA), falling in the PSAC Championship game, 83-74. The Golden Bears led by as many as seven several times in the first half, and entered the intermission leading by that margin, 40-33.  Kutztown hit 50 percent of its first half shots, while holding the Indians to just 27 percent.  IUP was able to stay in the the game by getting to the free throw line 19 times in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 14.  Jeff Brickus led all scorers at the break with 11. Indiana outrebounded the Golden Bears 26-11 in the second half and attempted 19 more free throws to take control of the game.  IUP scored the first nine points to take a 42-40 lead just two minutes into the second half.  The two teams battled back and forth with eight ties in the second half.  The Indians began to pull away, but still led by only three after a Eberhart layup with 2:36 remaining.  Kutztown could not get any closer and Indiana sealed the win when the Golden Bears were forced to foul. Moultrie led Kutztown with 20 points, including several key scores as KU fought back in the second half.  He finished 6-of-7 from the floor and was a 4-of-5 on threes.  Salaam notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards.  Brickus scored 16 and Eberhart finished with 10. The Golden Bears were 7-of-16 from long range and 15-of-19 from the line.  Salaam's first block, at 2:44 of the first half, made him the first player in PSAC history to record 300 for his career.