WFMZ-TV Video Highlights | VIDEO: Pre-game Shootaround

POTTSVILLE, Pa. – The Kutztown University and Philadelphia University men's basketball teams played in front of a packed crowd at Pottsville Area High School's Martz Hall. Fans of both teams and members of the local community were treated to a double-overtime thriller as the Golden Bears earned a 75-72 victory.
 
The Golden Bears (2-3) and Rams (2-3) played in front of more than 1,000 fans in Tuesday night's non-conference affair. With both teams having a Pottsville Area alum on their roster, supporters of all involved did not need any more reasons to spend their Tuesday night at Martz Hall.
 
40 minutes were not enough to decide a game that included 14 lead changes and numerous significant moments that had fans cheering on their feet. The elongated and exhausting affair resembled one of the greatest heavyweight boxing matches in history, the 'Thrilla in Manila'.
 
Kutztown trailed by seven points late in the second half and was looking for a spark to build momentum for the final run of the game. After trailing 51-44 with 8:30 to go, KU scored 13 of the next 17 points to lead 57-55 off an alley-oop from Tynell Fortune (Blakeslee, Pa./Pocono Mountain West (California (PA))) to Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown). It was Kutztown's first lead since 35-33.
 
Down two with 30 seconds left in regulation, Johnson cleaned up a missed layup and put it back with a dunk to tie the game with 29 seconds to go. The KU defense held on the final possession to force its first overtime of the year.
 
Pottsville alum and Philadelphia senior Nick Schlitzer did not disappointment in his homecoming with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and scored the Rams' final four points of the first overtime to give them a three-point lead with 39 seconds to go. Coming out of a timeout, Howard Sellars (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area (Saint Peter's)) caught the ball at the top of the key and drained his fourth three-pointer of the night and his first since the first half to tie the game at 63-63 with 20 seconds to go.
 
Once again, the KU defense held its ground and forced a poor three-point attempt to force the second overtime and Kutztown's first since Jan. 26, 2013 at Millersville.
 
Taking advantage of a Philadelphia team that rarely subbed and featured five players that player 45 or more minutes, Kutztown scored on two of its first three possessions in the second overtime. Sellars made a free throw and Austin Beidelman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) made a three-pointer in front of the KU bench to give KU a four-point lead in the opening minute.
 
Philadelphia traded layups for KU free throws down the stretch as KU led 72-69 with 59 seconds left after splitting its most recent trip to the line. Following a missed Philadelphia triple, KU needed, and made, just one of its two free throws to push its lead to two possessions.
 
With six seconds left, newly-entered Kaison Randolph buried a three-pointer to bring the Rams within one. An immediate foul put Fortune at the line for two free throws. Kutztown's best free throw shooter knocked down both of them to give KU a three-point lead with three seconds to play. Philadelphia threw the ball to mid-court and called their final timeout to draw up a play in front of its bench with two seconds remaining, but the ensuing three-pointer from the corner went off the rim as the Golden Bears pulled out the victory.
 
Four Golden Bears scored in double figures. Fortune made two triples and finished with a team-high 19 points. Sellars finished with a season-high 17 points and shot 6-for-9 from the field in 28 minutes off the bench.
 
Johnson notched his second double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three assists, a block and a steal. Even more impressive, he persevered after a hard fall to the floor in the opening minutes of the game.
 
Beidelman scored 13 points as the starting point guard for Kutztown. Senior Tyler Brooks (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) was active on the boards and finished with seven.
 
Along with Schlitzer's big night for the Rams, Derek Johnson scored 19 points and center Peter Alexis finished with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
 
The Golden Bears take off for the Thanksgiving holiday and return to action on Sunday, Nov. 30 for another non-conference contest at Wilmington University beginning at 2 p.m.