MANSFIELD, Pa – Ethan Ridgeway (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin)'s running 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the No. 14 Kutztown University men's basketball team its fifth straight win and its best start since beginning the 2009-10 season 14-0 as the Golden Bears held off Mansfield in overtime, 91-88, on Saturday afternoon inside Decker Gymnasium.
 
Just when it looked as if Mansfield had sent the game into double overtime with a 3-pointer with just over two seconds left, Ridgeway had different plans as he drove the length of the floor and just beat the buzzer with a running 3-pointer at the top of the arch.
 
The game-winner capped a 6-3 run for KU (9-2 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), 13-2), who trailed 84-85 when Mansfield made two free throws at the 1:10 mark of overtime.  That was one of four lead changes in the extra period, and there were also five ties.
 
Dan Cuevas (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) made a layup on the ensuing trip down the court, and after an Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) steal, Ryan Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) hit two foul shots to extend the Maroon and Gold's advantage to 88-85 with just 11 seconds remaining.
 
Those two free throws gave Connolly a game and season-high 25 points, as well as his 1,000th career point, as the redshirt-senior became the 25th Golden Bear in program history to reach the milestone. He tied a career-high by making 6-of-10 from 3-point range to move into third place in program history with 192 career 3-pointers. He also tied a season-high with four assists to go along with six rebounds, two steals and a block.
 
Cuevas shot an efficient 7-of-9 to contribute 16 points, and Ridgeway's game-winner gave him 15 for the afternoon. Cuevas added two rebounds and two assists, while Ridgeway had eight assists – his sixth consecutive game with at least seven to move into seventh place in the program annals with 123 assists this season.
 
Josh Johnson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) neared a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds, and Lee contributed nine points as well.
 
Kutztown made 33-of-60 from the field for its fifth straight 50+ percent shooting performance. The Golden Bears' 52.9 3-point percentage (9-17) tied for its second-highest of the season.  KU also had 90+ points, 20+ assists and 10+ steals for the third consecutive contest.
 
Kutztown also forced 19 turnovers that led to 28 points and had a 15-4 edge in second chance points. 
 
KU looked to be pulling away early as it took a game-high 13-point lead, 27-14, at the 5:34 mark of the first half following an Austin Beidelman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) 3-pointer to cap 12 unanswered points.
 
After Mansfield fought back to cut that deficit to four points at the half, 34-30, Kutztown began the second half with eight straight points to reestablish a 12-point advantage. That was one of three 12-point leads in the second half, the last coming with the score 52-40 with 13:41 to go in regulation.
 
Mansfield (4-7, 6-8) fought back to tie it with 3:42 left and would even go on top by as many as five with just 39 seconds remaining, but Connolly made 2-of-2 at the line, and following a Ridgeway steal, he made 2-of-2 free throws to pull Kutztown within one. After the Mountaineers made 1-of-2 foul shots, Lee tied the game with a basket with 16 seconds showing, and the Maroon and Gold came up with a stop on the final possession of regulation.
 
Matt Tamanosky led the Mountaineers with 21 points and 10 rebounds, Da'Quan Jones added 18 points and Jahyde Gardiner missed a double-double by one board with 13 points.
 
KU looks to make it six in a row Wednesday, Jan. 18 when it hosts Bloomsburg in Keystone Arena at 7:30 p.m.