KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team turned in one of the more complete team performances of the season, taking down the Cheyney Wolves 80-64 on Wednesday night inside Keystone Arena to close out its 2024-25 non-conference schedule.
The Golden Bears (7-11, 3-8 PSAC) never trailed thanks to the scoring efforts of senior guard Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll), who knocked down four three-point baskets on his way to a 23-point night. The team used its size mismatch to pull down 41 rebounds, and their season-low eight committed turnovers enabled them to knock off the Wolves (2-14 overall).
After a tight first half that saw Cheyney trail by nine, Kutztown emerged from the locker room with a much more efficient shooting attack and more scoring from their bench players. In the end, KU paced the game in bench points (23-18) while turning their 11 forced turnovers into 15 points in their winning effort.
The Maroon and Gold managed to pull away from their opponent thanks to their ability to draw fouls and convert from the free throw line, as well as forced shots late in the second half. Desperation heaves from Cheyney's guards were evident in their 3-for-12 mark from long distance, and their 3-for-11 second-half mark from the charity stripe hurt the visitors once foul trouble became a factor.
Big men Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) and Amir Cunningham (Middletown, Del./Middletown) pulled down a combined 17 rebounds while clamping down on whoever Cheyney threw their way. Nkoa Abessolo scored 14 points and hit both of his free throws, while Cunningham tallied six points and a pair of blocks in 30 minutes of play. The pair limited easy paint opportunities for the Wolves, as KU dominated paint points 44-28.
The win over Cheyney is Kutztown's second-largest margin of victory on the season, trailing only the 31-point win over Penn State Schuylkill. It also marks the 13th consecutive win over the Wolves, a streak that dates back to 2013.
Kutztown will look to carry this momentum into conference play, where they head south to face Shepherd on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m. inside the Butcher Athletic Center. They return to Keystone Arena next Wednesday, Jan. 29, for a battle against East Stroudsburg at 7:30 p.m.
