FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bell Scores 24 to Become All-Time Leading Scorer but Mounties Lose Heartbreaker

MANSFIELD – Joe Bell scored a team-best 24 points to become Mansfield's all-time leading scorer but Kutztown held off a valiant late-game effort to pull out a 70-67 win in the last seconds on a PSAC East contest on First Citizens National Bank at Decker Gymnasium Wednesday night.

Bell, who need just four points coming into the game to surpass Tommy Harvey's all-time leading 1,778 points, scored the game's first basket and then hit a 3-pointer the top of the arch a minute later to claim the scoring crown.

"Honestly I just wanted to get it out of the way," said Bell. "When I shot the 3 I thought it was going in and I was happy it happned. I don't really like a lot of attention but I really appreciated all the support people showed me tonight."

Mansfield held the first for most of the first ten minutes of the game before Kutztown rallied using a 12-0 run to take a 23-15 lead with just over five minutes remaining before halftime.

But Mansfield countered, putting together 14-2 run with Thomas Moore scoring eight of the first ten points, to take a 29-25 advantage into the final minute of the half.

The Mountaineer held a 30-29 lead at intermission but Kutztown controlled much of the game after the midway point taking a 51-40 advantage on a layup by Austin Beidleman with nine minutes to go.

Mansfield big man Charles Pemberton picked up his fourth foul eight minutes into the second half and was forced to sit a seven minute stretch with Kutztown maintaining a double-digit lead when Josh Johnson hit a layup with just over give minutes to go.

Mansfield didn't fold. Bell nailed a 3-pointer to cut the lead to seven points and hit another one less than a minute later to close to 61-57.

Pemberton reentered the game and connected on layup to close to 61-59 and made it a one point margin on an ensuing free throw at 61-60.

Kutztown extended the lead to 67-62 with two minutes remaining with Mansfield charging right back behind Pemberton, who scored five straight points, to tie the game at 67-67 with 1:11 to play.

Mansfield trailed 68-67 after a free throw by Anthony Selby with 43 second left and had two chances to pull on the win on a 3-pointer by Moore that rimmed out and a Moore layup that was blocked by Tyler Brooks with two seconds to play.

Ethan Ridgeway hit two free throw with less than a second left to seal the win.

Bell hit 8-of-16 from the floor including 3-of-6 on 3-point attempts to increase his school-record point total to 1,799 points. Moore added 16 points while Pemberton, who foul out in the final minute, scoring 15 points and pulling down eight rebounds.

Josh Johnson scored a game-high 26 points for Kutztown with Tynell Fortune adding 12 points.

The loss left Mansfield one game out of a PSAC playoff berth with seven games remaining.