LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team held a 15-point lead early in the second half but saw it slip away in a 69-66 defeat at the hands of the Lock Haven Bald Eagles at Thomas Fieldhouse on Friday evening.
The Golden Bears (3-9, 0-6 PSAC) received double-digit scoring contributions from guards Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) and Jaiden McGhee (Townsend, Del./Middletown), who scored 17 and 11 points, respectively. But a late surge from the Bald Eagles (6-6, 3-3 PSAC) flipped the script for a squad that has now won four of its past five on the way to a .500 record on the season.
The Maroon and Gold held a 13-point advantage at the intermission thanks to a dominant performance on the boards (22 rebounds), stellar work in the paint (22 points), and an efficient first period defensively (6 steals). Bryant and big man Tyler Koenig (Waldwick, N.J./Pioneer Academy) led the way with nine points apiece, and the Golden Bears seemed to be on their way to their first conference win of the season.
Lock Haven executed their plan throughout the second half, slowly clawing back thanks to several runs, including a 7-0 stretch to close out the game. Despite getting into early foul trouble, the Bald Eagles found a way to efficient shots, while their bench performers did enough for the three-point victory.
Junior Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, adding four steals to lead the team in 25 minutes of play. Amir Cunningham (Middletown, Del./Middletown) turned in eight points, four boards, three assists and two steals, while Kameron Roberts (Townsend, Del./Middletown) scored all six of his points from beyond the three-point arc.
As a team, the Golden Bears led the game in three-point shooting with a 33.3 percent clip while converting 37.9 percent of field goal attempts and 72 percent from the charity stripe. KU led the game in rebounds (45-31), but let the game get away as Lock Haven stole the ball eight times in their second-period comeback.
The Golden Bears make their 2025 return to Keystone Arena with a PSAC matchup against the Mansfield Mountaineers on Monday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
