KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Playing in its first home game in over a month, the Kutztown University men's basketball team, albeit shorthanded once again, traded blows with seventh-ranked Mercyhurst University for 40 minutes, but had a late lead slip and dropped the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game, 79-71, Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (4-9 overall, 1-6 PSAC) were looking for their first ranked victory since defeating No. 12 West Chester on Jan. 18, 2020, and for their first win over a top-10 team nationally since taking down No. 2 West Liberty on Nov. 9, 2018.
 
For the first 35 minutes, it looked like the script was going to be written for another Golden Bears ranked win. But the Lakers (14-2, 8-2) had another idea. Their 18-3 run over a span of 5:44 late in the second half helped them overcome a double-digit, second half deficit to pull out a come from behind victory.
 
Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) and Michael Smith III (Chester, Pa./Chester) combined for 50 of KU's 71 points on the day, with Bryant finishing with a career-high 23 points and Smith III adding 17. The duo each took turns leading the charge in each half, as Bryant tallied 16 in the opening half and Smith III had 15 in the final half. Both also grabbed five rebounds each and made three 3-pointers.
 
Mercyhurst scored 16 of the game's first 22 points to stake to a double-figure lead 6:18 into the contest. But the Maroon and Gold rallied and took their first lead of the game on a Bryant jumper with 2:07 left in the first half, going up 27-26. KU took a slim 31-30 lead into halftime.
 
After the teams traded baskets in the opening few possessions of the second half and the score was 39-38 in favor of the Golden Bears, Kutztown took over. KU went on an 11-1 run in the next 4:22 and found itself ahead 50-39 with 11:52 to go. Kutztown stayed in the double-figure area until there was 8:25 remaining and Mercyhurst cut its deficit to 58-49. That's when it made its run. The Lakers went on an 18-3 run from the 8:45 mark to the 3:01 mark, to go up 65-61 as KU called timeout.
 
Ky'Aire Sumpter (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) connected from distance to pull his team to within one at 65-64, but Kutztown could not pull back ahead as Mercyhurst finished the final 2:24 on a 12-7 run.
 
Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) and Channick Nkoma (Libreville, Gabon/Lycee National Leon M'ba) both finished scoring in double-figures, netting 11 and 10 respectively, and both had three rebounds. Kyree Generett (York, Pa./William Penn) contributed five points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
Kutztown is scheduled to host West Chester in a makeup of a previously postponed game from Jan. 5. The new game is set for Monday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m., from Keystone Arena.