KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The Kutztown Univeristy men's basketball team (9-17, 8-12 PSAC) has found its groove at the right time, as the Golden Bears won their fourth straight game in a 81-69 victory over Mansfield (6-19, 5-16 PSAC) Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena.
It was an all-around effort from the Golden Bears, who saw four players net double-digit points in the victory. Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) was massive for KU, recording a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. The Golden Bears outscored Mansfield 38-24 in the paint largely because of the Philadelphia native's work down low.
Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) led the scoring for the Golden Bears with 22 points. Senior Kyree Generett (York, Pa./William Penn) came two assists short of a double-double with ten points and eight assists. Wesley Butler (Reading, Pa./Reading) had a solid showing off the bench, netting 15 points in 29 minutes of action.
Both teams started the game ice cold, going a combined 4-of-16 from the floor as Mansfield led 6-4 entering the first media timeout. The Golden Bears started to find their offensive groove as the first half went on through Bryant and Tucker. Bryant was on fire in the first frame, netting 21 points while going 5-of-7 from three point range.
It was a back-and-forth affair until KU started to pull away towards the end of the half. A Generett and-one followed by a Bryant buzzer beater three-pointer highlighted the Golden Bear's run in the final few minutes as KU went into the locker room up 41-34 at half.
KU started the second half on a similar scoring trend, extending its lead to double-digits. Mansfield refused to go away though , responding to keep the game at single-digits through the majority of the half.
The Golden Bears eventually started to pull away, getting contributions from the majority of their rotation. Tucker continued to be a problem for the Mounties, bullying his way down low for some tough baskets. In the end, KU's scoring proved to be too much for Mansfield, as the Golden Bears rolled their way to a 81-69 victory.
KU's four game winning streak is the longest of the season. The win not only extends the streak, but keeps the Golden Bears in the playoff picture for the time being. KU sits two games back of Shepherd for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East. The Rams face off against East Stroudsburg at 3 p.m. on Saturday, where a win would see them in. An East Stroudsburg win would mean KU has a shot at the sixth seed with two games to go.
The Golden Bears are back in action on the road Wednesday, Feb. 22 against Bloomsburg. That game against the Huskies will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
