Box Score



Kutztown 72, Bloomsburg 61 (HTML Box Score) | Watch the Game Replay (KUTV)

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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball overcame a 21-point first half deficit and went on to win by double-digits in a 72-61 victory over Bloomsburg University on Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game at Keystone Arena.
 
Kutztown stumbled out of the gate and trailed 28-7 with 10:48 left in the first half. Following a lineup change, Kutztown allowed just six points for the remainder of the half in a 21-6 run to trail 34-28 at halftime. Kutztown only made six field goals in the run, but shot 8-for-8 at the free throw line.
 
The substantial run ballooned to an eye-opening 28-point, 39-11 run over more than 18 minutes of game clock as Kutztown led 46-39 at the 12:47 mark of the second half. Kutztown remained active offensively and was able to get to the free throw line, where it shot 13-of-14 during the run and 25-of-30 for the game.
 
Defense played the most significant difference maker during the run, most of which was done with five Kutztown freshman on the court. After watching Bloomsburg shoot 13-for-19 (.684) in the opening 9:12 to take the 21-point lead, it held Bloomsburg to 4-for-21 shooting and 3-of-8 at the free throw line during the run.
 
Bloomsburg came within three points later in the game, but a late 7-0 run with Kutztown leading by five gave it a game-high 12-point lead (66-54) with 4:01 to play. Overall, KU outscored Bloomsburg 65-33 over the final 30:48.
 
Saturday marked the third straight game in which Kutztown held its opponent to less than 70 points. It is also the 12th straight win against Bloomsburg at Keystone Arena dating back to the 2001-02 season.
 
"We weren't executing the game plan early on, and it caused to be in the big hole," head coach Bernie Driscoll said. "We missed a lot of layups in the first half, but we felt we needed to give those guys off the bench a chance to help us fight out of that hole.
 
"This is a huge game for us moving forward," Driscoll continued. "We beat a team with a winning record and in second place, and our guys continued to gain experience of what it takes to win. Regardless of age, we need to continue to give effort to make a nice run into the second half of the season."
 
Individually, Saturday's heroes were up and down the bench, as all 12 players who stepped on the floor for Kutztown made an impact. Statistically not the greatest free throw shooter (.333), redshirt freshman Elijah Jackson (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) stepped up and shot 7-for-7 at the charity stripe as part of a season-high 16 points. The guard also dished out a season-high six assists and grabbed six rebounds in 32 minutes.
 
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) scored a game-high 17 points, made 5-of-6 free throws, and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. He and Jackson were Kutztown's top offensive threats at the bucket, as Johnson threw down a dunk as he drove across the lane that brought one of the largest crowds at Keystone Arena this season to its feet near the end of the first half.
 
Fred Dukes IV (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove (Community College of Philadelphia)) earned each of his season-high 21 minutes at the point guard position. He scored a season-high nine points and was unfortunate with a couple point-blank layups not falling. The quickness of him and Brandon Bridy (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) forced havoc on the Huskies guards as the opposition was never able to get into a rhythm down the stretch.
 
Rell Sherman (Philadelphia, Pa./Olney West (Manor Junior College)) is in the midst of his coming out party with the Golden Bears. Despite not scoring on Saturday following his season-high 13-point outing at Shippensburg on Wednesday, Sherman guarded some of Bloomsburg's top options on offense and worked his way on the floor by grabbing rebounds and fighting hard physically.
 
Freshman Martin Dietrich (Maytown, Pa./Donegal) played nine minutes in the first half and was a vital contributor to the kick-start of Kutztown's comeback. He was one of 12 players to play in the first half for Kutztown, something that is not a common occurrence.
 
"The guys off the bench gave us great effort, energy, and allowed us to press them in the full court," Driscoll said. "We felt we could disrupt their offense by forcing them to take some time getting up the floor. You have to give a ton of credit to Rell, Fred, Brandon, and Martin, who all did a great job for us tonight. I'm happy for those guys because they work hard in practice, and this was a win for them."
 
The Golden Bears (6-12, 4-4 PSAC East) have built their first winning streak of the season, and are certainly moving in the right direction heading into the second half of the conference schedule. The Huskies (10-7, 6-2) remain in second place in the East.
 
Lorenzo Christmas entered Saturday's game averaging more than 20 points per game in his six career games against Kutztown. Thanks to the defense of Jackson, he was limited to nine points on 3-of-9 shooting with six rebounds and three three-pointers.
 
Bloomsburg was led by sophomore Charles Haigler's 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Redshirt senior Dontahe Jordan scored 11 points off the bench.
 
The Golden Bears will have a week to prepare for sixth-ranked and undefeated East Stroudsburg University on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Koehler Fieldhouse beginning at 3 p.m.