Box Score Mansfield 82, Kutztown 80 (HTML Box Score)
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team led by as many as 18 in the first half and by 14 points at halftime, but found itself trailing Mansfield University by one with 53 seconds to play. Kutztown had four looks at the basket in the final minute, but was unable to find the bottom of the net in a 82-80 setback on Thursday night.
Kutztown called timeouts and was able to set up the plays it wanted, but went on to miss a layup with 40 seconds left, a three-pointer with 24 seconds left, a layup with eight seconds left, and a three-pointer with one second left; all of which would have tied or won the game for the Golden Bears.
With Thursday night's result, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division playoff race got much tighter. The Golden Bears (6-14, 4-6 PSAC East) were in a position to nearly solidify their place in the playoffs and earn a potential tiebreaker against the Mountaineers (5-16, 3-8). Kutztown still holds the final spot in the six-team divisional playoff bracket, but the setback brings Mansfield back into the mix as it trails slightly in seventh.
Kutztown could not have played better in the first half of action. It shot 53.3 percent from the field, made three three-pointers, scored 44 points, and held a 14-point advantage heading into the break. The tide surely changed in the second half though, as Mansfield's Joe Bell and Charles Pemberton seemed possessed to bring Mansfield back from its near demise.
Bell and Pemberton combined for 62 points on the night, 41 of which came in the second half. After Kutztown took a 16-point lead in the opening minutes of the second half, Mansfield turned up its offense and put together a 17-3 run to cut the deficit to two (51-49) with 15:48 to play. It shot 7-for-9 in the run and forced KU to four turnovers and three shot attempts.
Both teams put together lengthy runs later in the half, capped by a 19-6 Mansfield run and a Bell dunk that gave it a 78-77 lead with 2:30 to play, its first since 2-0. The following possession, Kutztown freshman point guard
Austin Beidelman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) drained one of his three three-pointers on the night to give Kutztown a two-point lead (80-78). Bell scored Mansfield's next three points as it led by one with 53 seconds left heading into Kutztown's final possessions.
Beidelman scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Tracy Peal scored a team-high 16 points, and
Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area),
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown), and
Elijah Jackson (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) all scored 13 points. In the final possessions, Kutztown had just three of those players on the court as Johnson and Peal fouled out. Jackson was also held scoreless in the second half after scoring all 13 of his points in an impressive first half.
Bell scored a game-high 33 points on 14-for-22 shooting. He played 38 minutes and continued to attack the basket in the second half. Pemberton notched a double-double with 29 points and a game-high 10 rebounds on 13-for-20 shooting. Notably, 62 of Mansfield's 82 points came in the paint (75.6 percent).
Looking ahead, Kutztown faces back-to-back road games beginning on Saturday, Feb. 8 at West Chester (15-6, 8-3). Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Earlier this season, West Chester defeated Kutztown at Keystone Arena, 85-71.
