KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Wesley Butler (Reading, Pa./Reading) and Evan-Eric Longino (Furlong, Pa./Germantown Academy) combined for 44 points and the Kutztown University men's basketball bounced back in a big way, Saturday, snapping its eight-game losing streak with a frantic 101-93 Senior Day victory over Mansfield at Keystone Arena in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Divisional game.
Prior to the game, the team recognized senior guards Moe Williams (Townsend, Del./Life Center Academy (N.J.)) and Ky'Aire Sumpter (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), along with center Oenis Medina (Reading, Pa./Reading) for their careers with the Golden Bears.
Mansfield came out strong to start, jumping out to a quick five-point lead. The Mountaineers (4-21, 3-15 PSAC) shot 60% from the field in the opening half compared to Kutztown's 46.2%. Longino helped the Golden Bears stay close early, scoring nine of his 20 points in the game's first 15 minutes.
KU struggled to get its perimeter game going, but made up for it by generating second chance opportunities on the offensive glass. The Golden Bears (8-18, 5-15 PSAC) outrebounded Mansfield 21-13 in the half and scored 14 second chance points while holding the Mountaineers to none of their own. Kutztown finished the half on a 13-5 run to take a 45-43 lead to the locker room.
The game remained close in the early stages of the second half, with neither team able to jump ahead in the first 10 minutes. Eventually, the Maroon and Gold stepped up to the challenge, and following a Butler layup, found themselves up six, 77-71, with eight minutes to go. The Golden Bears would not give up the lead the rest of the way, hanging on for the eight-point victory.
A pair of Longino free throws with 20 seconds remaining pushed Kutztown above the century mark for the first time since its fourth game of the season, a 115-46 romp of Penn State Berks back on Nov. 20, 2021.
Butler led KU with 24 points. Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) scored 15 points while shooting 77.8% from the field, and also added 11 rebounds to record a double-double. Five players finished in double figures for the Golden Bears, as Michael Smith III (Chester, Pa./Chester) tallied 10 points, while Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Kutztown shot a season-high 33 free throws, making 24 (72.7%). Longino was 7-of-8 at the stripe and Bryant 7-of-10.
Jaz Farrell had a game-high 25 points for Mansfield, which dropped its 13th game to the Bears in the last 14 meetings. The Mountaineers' 75-71 win over KU back on Jan. 26, halted a 12-game winning streak for Kutztown in the series.
Also scoring in double figures for Mansfield were Justice Smith (19), Eli Alvin (18) and Marcus Friend (14).
Kutztown will look to make it back-to-back wins when they host Bloomsburg Wednesday, Feb. 23, in their final home game of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
