KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team fell to the Jefferson Rams in a tightly contested game by a score of 61-56 on Wednesday night at Keystone Arena.

A ten-point halftime lead for the Golden Bears (0-3) looked to be good enough to claim Kutztown's first win of the season in front of their home crowd, but a 40-point second half and strong defense in the final five minutes enabled Jefferson (3-0) to move ahead undefeated in non-conference play.

Kutztown opened the game with a strong scoring performance, aided in part by a 13-for-16 first-half free throw clip that was allowed by a Rams defense that got a bit too physical. The Golden Bears didn't provide any foul shot opportunities for Jefferson in the opening frame, leaving the Maroon and Gold in control heading into the final 20 minutes.

The script flipped in the second half. Jefferson converted on five of their 11 three-point attempts, while the Golden Bears struggled to respond to the change in momentum. The Rams left the door open as their offensive attack slowed down, but their defensive efforts ended up being just enough to hold onto a five-point win.

Kutztown's scoring was led by guards Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) and Jaiden McGhee (Townsend, Del./Middletown), who each had 14 points, the latter coming on a solid 6-for-13 mark. Sophomore guard Yahmir Satterfield (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) picked up seven rebounds on the night, while McGhee and Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) each had six boards apiece for KU.

The Golden Bears will turn their focus to their second home outing against Penn State Schuylkill on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. at Keystone Arena. They will open conference play at Edinboro on Friday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m.