LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Playing without a chunk of student-athletes, including multiple starters due to health and safety protocols, the Kutztown University men's basketball team did all it could, but Lock Haven did just a little bit more and held on in the final seconds, winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division game Wednesday night, 71-69, at Thomas Fieldhouse.
 
The Golden Bears (4-8 overall, 1-5 PSAC) found themselves behind 69-67 with 2:04 left to play, but freshman point guard Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) was fouled on route to the hoop and earned himself two free-throws. He sunk both to tie the game at 69-all with 1:06 to go. After the Bald Eagles (6-7, 3-6) made a jumper by Jesse McPherson with just 0:08 remaining, Bryant once again created a path into the lane and was fouled. This time, however, the first free-throw attempt rimmed out, and after purposely missing the second in an attempt to get a rebound and put-back, Lock Haven came away with the rebound as the buzzer sounded.
 
Bryant finished with 14 points, two rebounds and three assists in a team-high 36 minutes of action. He was one of three Golden Bears to reach double figures, joined by Akeem Taylor Jr. (Chester, Pa./Chester) and Kyree Generett (York, Pa./William Penn), who recorded 18 and 10 points respectively. Taylor added eight rebounds while Generett dished out six assists.
 
The first half had 12 ties and six lead changes before Kutztown scored four of the last six points over a span of 3:01 to go ahead 41-39 at halftime. Lock Haven came out of the locker room and took the lead right back after a three-pointer 1:10 in. Following two lead changes that saw the Bald Eagles take a 44-43 lead, KU scored 10 of the next 12 points to go ahead 53-46 with 13:16 to go. It took its biggest lead of the game at 12 (63-51) following back-to-back three-pointers by Ky'Aire Sumpter (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) and Michael Smith III (Chester, Pa./Chester), and a layup by Bryant, at the midway point of the half, 9:34 remaining.
 
The Bald Eagles netted eight straight to claw back and eventually took the lead 66-65 with 3:44 left.
 
Smith III and Oenis Medina (Reading, Pa./Reading) both tallied eight points, with the latter grabbing seven rebounds. Sumpter contributed six points, John Proctor (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) had three points and Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) added two for KU.
 
Kutztown will be back at Keystone Arena for the first time in 2022 this Saturday, Jan. 15, when it hosts seventh-ranked Mercyhurst University at 3 p.m.