BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Despite spreading out the scoring load between four key contributors, the Kutztown University men's basketball team lost a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division game to the Bloomsburg Huskies, 80-70, inside Nelson Field House on Saturday.
The Golden Bears (6-16, 3-14 PSAC) took part in a battle of two teams still in contention for a spot in the PSAC Men's Basketball Championships in early March, and while Kutztown showed signs of life throughout the game, it could not take control over the Huskies (7-17, 4-13 PSAC), who continued building on a strong home record while snapping a two game losing streak.
It was a battle of defenses in the first 20 minutes of action, and with the Golden Bears being one of the best defensive units in the conference, it was able to impose control over the pace of scoring against its opponent, allowing just 34 points to Bloomsburg heading into the locker room.
Both teams ramped up their offensive efforts in the second half. Kutztown, who trailed by nine at the break, was able to show its stability with a 40 percent mark from the field and an 18-for-21 clip from the charity stripe in the second half, and while that helped them keep pace with the Huskies, the home team used a 46-45 advantage to maintain its advantage and pick up its seventh win of the season.
With a driving layup with 5:19 left in the second half, fifth-year guard
Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll) passed Golden Bears Hall of Famer Lock Jennings (1989-93) for fifth on the team's all-time career scoring list. The Edgewood, Md., native entered the season in 10th on the list with 1,371 points, and finished the day with a team-high 23 points - his best output since early January - while connecting on all 12 free throws.
Forwards
Kidd Brizek (Greenville, S.C./Powdersville) and
Jordan Nkoa Abessolo (Yaoundé, Cameroon/St. Maria Goretti (Md.)) each notched a double-double in defeat, with the latter having 12 points and 12 rebounds, while the former had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Guard
Amon Fowlkes (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) had 11 points, two rebounds and a pair of steals in defeat.
Bloomsburg's scoring was spread between seven different players, six of whom had at least ten points. The Huskies' efforts were led by forward Gabe Springer, who had 14 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Kutztown concludes its home slate with a pair of games against Millersville (Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.) and Shepherd (Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m.) inside Keystone Arena. The Wednesday matchup against the Marauders will feature Kutztown's Pink Day, while the Golden Bears' seniors will be honored in Saturday's contest with the Rams.
