LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA (December 11, 2010) – The Kutztown University men's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to defeat Lincoln University, 70-60, Saturday afternoon in a non-conference contest at Manuel Rivero Hall. BOXSCORE

 

Kutztown won its second consecutive contest by limiting Lincoln to two points over the final 4 minutes, 29 seconds and getting 23 points along with six rebounds from senior Tamir Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter). Senior Steve Coffey (Reading, PA/Wilson) contributed 11 points for the Golden Bears, who outscored Lincoln, 39-22, after intermission to improve their overall record to 6-2.

 

“I thought the first 15 minutes of the second half we played as hard and as well as we have in a long time,” Kutztown University head coach Bernie Driscoll said. “With nine new players on our team, we know we still have a lot of room for growth, but I am happy with the win.”

 

Lincoln (0-6) got a team-high 21 points from Denzel Mooney.

 

The difference in the game was the Kutztown bench performance of Alex Reed (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) and Jon DeShields (Chester, PA/Life Center). Reed grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. DeShileds made a pair of critical 3-pointers in the second half to help the Golden Bears finally shake the pesky Lions. DeShields' first 3-pointer gave Kutztown the lead for good, 50-47, with 10 minutes, 57 seconds remaining.  

 

“It was really big for us to finish the first half of our schedule with a win,” Johnson said. “I knew with Eric (Brennan) out that I had to step up. I always knew Jon and Alex had it in them and I am glad they picked this game to show it and help us out.”

 

Although the Golden Bears never trailed following DeShields' basket, Lincoln refused to go quietly. The Lions kicked up a fuss and closed to 60-58 with 4:29 remaining following a pair of Mooney foul shots. Both teams combined to shoot 52 free throws and commit 51 fouls.

 

Already leading 38-31, at halftime, the Lions stretched their lead to 44-35 with 17:44 remaining after Kutztown's bench was slapped with a technical foul. That was the turning point as Kutztown picked up its energy level and defensive intensity to get back into the game.

 

Julius Gray (Lincoln University, PA/Oxford Area), playing five minutes from home, also sprang to life as he made both of his 3-pointers during a massive, 21-4 Kutztown blitz. By the time Kutztown finished its surge, the Golden Bears held a 56-48 lead with less than nine minutes to play in the contest.

 

For the second consecutive road game, Kutztown fell into a double-digit first half hole. This time, the Golden Bears trailed, 24-14. Unlike last week's game at the University of the Sciences when the Golden Bears never got their deficit under 10 points, the Golden Bears pulled to within one point on several occasions late in the first half. However, the Lions still carried a 38-31 lead into intermission.

 

Johnson gave the Golden Bears their only first-half advantage, 10-9, with a two-handed dunk off of an Eric Henry (Harrisburg, PA/Harrisburg) pass. Both teams combined to commit 26 fouls in the first half. Kutztown also turned the ball over 10 times and went nearly five minutes without scoring.

 

“I thought our first-half effort was awful,” Driscoll said. “I was happy that we were able to overcome some adversity and get a tough win on the road. I also thought our seniors did a nice job of settling us down in the second half. I will take a 6-2 record heading into our break against a competitive schedule.”

 

Lincoln hosts Central State University Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Meanwhile, Kutztown returns to action when it hosts Mercyhurst College in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover contest on Monday, January 3, 2011 at Keystone Arena beginning at 8 p.m.

 

--KU--