KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team battled a physical East Stroudsburg Warriors team on Wednesday night, falling short in an 88-69 affair at Keystone Arena in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division meeting between the teams.
The Golden Bears (7-13, 3-10 PSAC) fell into a 17-7 hole early and couldn't find ways to dig themselves out against a Warriors (15-5, 9-4 PSAC) defense that put full-court pressure on the home team nearly every play while committing 29 fouls on the night.
Sophomore guard Yahmir Satterfield (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) led the Kutztown scoring attack with 15 points and a trio of three-point baskets, scoring 10 points and two triples in a three-minute span late in the second half. Fellow sophomore Juju Pagan (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) and big man Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) each tallied 11 points, while Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) scored eight points against a defense that appeared to be familiar with the senior guard's lethal scoring ability.
The Maroon and Gold shot 40 percent from the field, a mark boosted by an increased efficiency from long distance in the second half (36.4 percent). The Warriors gifted Kutztown trips to the charity stripe thanks to their aggressiveness, opportunities that earned the Bears 19 free points on 27 attempts. Pagan (7-for-7), Bryant (2-for-2) and Tyler Koenig (Waldwick, N.J./Pioneer Academy) (2-for-2) each converted all of their opportunities, while Satterfield (4-for-5) and rookie Josh McKoy (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) (3-for-6) turned in at least three bonus points from the line.
The Golden Bears were more efficient from the line on the night, while they led the game in fast break points (7 to the Warriors' five points) despite their opponents earning more opportunities. Amir Cunningham (Middletown, Del./Middletown) led KU with six rebounds in 16 minutes, while Pagan's four assists were half of the team's eight total dimes on the night.
Kutztown looks to begin February on the right foot with a win at Mansfield, who they will face on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. inside the Marion Decker Gymnasium.
