KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team saw its second attempt this season at a top-three nationally-ranked victory fall just short with a 96-87 defeat to unbeaten and third-ranked Indiana (PA) Saturday evening in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener for both teams.
 
The Golden Bears (4-3 overall, 0-1 PSAC) took down No. 2 West Liberty earlier this season and were looking to repeat its magic of knocking out nationally-ranked giants, and it was a mere seconds from completing the fate.
 
With 0:12 to go, Kutztown had the ball trailing 79-77 with a chance at the tie or to go for the win. A three-point attempt by KU did not fall, but sophomore Kiyon Hardy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Shipley School) was there for the rebound and had a put-back fall through as the horn sounded and regulation.
 
The Maroon and Gold would actually take the lead 0:21 into the overtime period on two free-throws by Hardy, but that would be KU's last advantage of the game as the Crimson Hawks (7-0, 1-0) rattled off 17 of the last 23 points to seal the win.
 
It was just Kutztown's first loss at Keystone Arena this season and just the fifth in the last four years at home.
 
The two teams entered Saturday ranked in the top-five in the PSAC in scoring, and they did not disappoint, both scoring more than their season-averages (KU 85.7ppg, IUP 81.7).
 
Four Golden Bears reached double-figures in the victory, led by Moe Williams (Townsend, Del./Life Center Academy) with a career-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was the fourth straight double-double and 11th in his last 14 games.
 
Ricky Hicks (Coatesville, Pa./Polytech) also had a career-high day with 16 points and six assists. Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) tallied 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, but was hampered by foul trouble all game, and fouled out late in the second half and was forced to miss the overtime period. Da'Quan Granberry (Linwood, Pa./Chichester) was the fourth Golden Bear in double-digits, tying a season-high with 11 points, including a couple of two-handed dunks.
 
Josh Townsend (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) recorded eight points and a career-high of 14 rebounds playing physically inside against a couple of larger IUP forwards. Facundo Arens (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Bahia Blanca) added seven points, Hardy had six and David Johnson (Dunellen, N.J./Dunellen) tallied four to round out the KU scoring.
 
IUP held a three-point lead (43-40) at halftime and looked to have it all but sealed in the second half, leading 79-67 with 3:26 to go. But Kutztown scored the last 12 points in that span to tie it up, before falling in overtime.
 
Kutztown is home for its next game, tomorrow, Sunday, at 3 p.m. against Clarion.