KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's basketball team came out in the second half and scored 44 points to claim a 70-66 victory over the Frostburg State Bobcats in a non-conference battle on Monday night inside Keystone Arena.
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The Golden Bears (2-1 overall) matched its opponents with a 39 percent field goal mark in the first half, but the Bobcats (2-3) outplayed KU with a higher shooting volume and a perfect, 10-for-10 field goal percentage in the opening frame. It was Kutztown, however, that took control of the second half to keep its perfect home record intact on the young season.
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The first half featured a steady rise to a 15-point lead for Frostburg State, while the visitors challenged the Golden Bears with a tough defensive battle on the other end. The Bobcats not only had a much higher volume of shots, it was able to distance itself with an efficient mark in free throws, as well as a higher mark in three-point shooting.
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The Maroon and Gold emerged from the locker room and instantly clawed back in the game with a 13-4 stretch in the first four minutes of the half, drawing within four before the Bobcats called a timeout. KU came out of the timeout with a bang, as fifth-year guard
Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) picked the pocket of a Bobcats ballhandler and scurried down the court for a fast break layup.
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Frostburg State pushed ahead in the following minutes, but Kutztown managed to come back and tie things at 54 with seven minutes remaining. From there, it was a heated, defensive battle between both teams, one that featured nearly a third of the game's fouls as well as a pair of technical fouls.
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In a game with a near-even number of fouls, it was the same free throw line that helped Frosburg State gain its first half advantage that ended up being its weakness in the latter frame. The Bobcats shot 45.5 percent from the free-throw line in the second half compared to Kutztown's 53 percent mark, ultimately lifting the home team over the top.
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Bryant led the Golden Bears in scoring with 21 points that included five threes, while bringing down seven rebounds and a pair of steals. Forward
Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) had another big double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, which he teamed with fellow big man
Tobi Ogunbare (Dublin, Ireland/Lawrence (Mass.)) for a combined 22 boards. Guard
Yahmir Satterfield (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) scored 16 points, and
Omari Banks (Middletown, Del./The Phelps School (Pa.)) finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists.Â
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The Golden Bears will stay at home for a meeting with Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Indiana (Pa.), who will travel to Keystone Arena on Friday, Dec. 5, for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
