BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Kutztown University men's basketball team (10-17, 9-12 PSAC) held off Bloomsburg (1-24, 1-20 PSAC) for a critical 78-69 win at the E.H. Nelson Fieldhouse Wednesday night. The Golden Bears have now won five-straight games and keep their PSAC Tournament hopes alive for the time being.
KU led by as much as 18 points halfway through the second half before Bloomsburg cut it to a one-point lead with 3:17 remaining in the contest. Some clutch baskets down the stretch from Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) and KU's senior trio of Kyree Generett (York, Pa./William Penn), Wesley Butler (Reading, Pa./Reading), and Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) helped the Golden Bears extend their lead and hold on for the 78-69 win.
Bryant and Generett led the offense for KU in the game, finishing with 22 and 20 points respectively. Bryant also snagged five boards while Generett grabbed four and dished out six assists. Tucker netted 13 and grabbed six rebounds while Butler (12) was the only other Golden Bear in double-figures.
Kyle Whippen (Arlington,Va./Westfield) grabbed a joint team-high six rebounds and scored four points in 21 minutes of action. Josh Samec (Tresckow, Pa./Hazleton), Brendan Boyle (Allentown, Pa./Notre Dame), and Ryan Glassmacher (Stewartsville, N.J./Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)) rounded out the scoring for KU. Jake Nelson, Desmond Feeman, and Louie Wild were the double-digit scores for the Huskies.
The Golden Bears shot 51% from the floor compared to Bloomsburg's 40%. KU doubled the Huskies' points off turnovers (18-9) and went 83% from the line compared to Bloomsburg 58%.
After looking well out of the playoff picture, the Golden Bears have stormed back, winning four PSAC East games in a row and extending their season-long winning streak to five games. KU also avenges its 86-78 loss against Bloomsburg on Jan. 25.
Shepherd, who currently occupies the final seed in the East, matches up against Shippensburg Wednesday night. If the Rams win, they're in. If not, Shepherd and KU will match up on Saturday, Feb 25 at Keystone Arena on Senior Day with a spot in the postseason on the line. That game will tip off at 3 p.m.
