KUTZTOWN, PA. (November 24, 2009) – The Kutztown University women's basketball team dropped a 77-63 decision to visiting Holy Family University in a non-conference match at Keystone Arena Tuesday night. (BOXSCORE)
Holy Family, ranked 25th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 poll, scored 16 consecutive points during a four-minute stretch late in the second half to reverse a two-point deficit. The setback evened Kutztown's record at 1-1. Meanwhile, Holy Family improved its record to 2-1. Holy Family is one of five schools on Kutztown's 2009-10 schedule that participated in the 2009 NCAA Division II tournament.
Junior forward Melissa McQuade (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) (Pittsburgh/Shaler) led Kutztown with 16 points. Junior forward Kristen Murray (Harrisburg, PA/Trinity) (Harrisburg/Trinity) added 11 points, while senior guard Vivian Melvin (Chichester, PA/Chichester) (Chichester/Chichester) contributed 12 points for the Golden Bears. Senior center Chauntelle Schroeder (Toronto, Ontario, CANADA/Mother Teresa) (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Mother Teresa) finished with 10 points. Senior guard Rachel Wisemiller (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton Area) (Hazleton/Hazleton) led the Golden Bears with eight rebounds. Junior guard Meredith Starr (Richmond, VA/Monacan) (Richmond, VA/Monacan) handed out seven assists to go along with her seven points.
Catherine Carr led Holy Family with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Also reaching double digits for the Tigers was Christine McCollum (17 points) and Meghan Gibson (14 points). Holy Family finished with 17 offensive rebounds.
McQuade hit a jumper to give Kutztown its final lead of the game, 57-55, with five minutes, six seconds remaining. The Tigers took control from there. Gibson answered with a 3-pointer to give Holy Family the lead for good.
Before Holy Family's closing burst, there were eight lead changes and six ties in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
The Golden Bears trailed by eight points on a pair of occasions in the first half (17-9 with 10:03 remaining and 19-11 with 8:49 left) before springing to life behind the play of the energetic Starr and shooting of Murray. Starr had five assists in the first half to help Kutztown find its groove after its slow start. The Golden Bears scored 16 of the game's next 19 points to open its largest advantage of the first half, 27-22 with 3:35 remaining.
Six different Golden Bears scored during their 16-3 run. Starr tied the game at 22-22 with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Wisemiller made a pair of foul shots to give Kutztown a 24-22 lead it would not relinquish the rest of the first half. McQuade followed with a 3-pointer off of a Starr assist.
Kutztown returns to action Saturday afternoon when it travels to Georgian Court for a 1 p.m. start. Meanwhile, Holy Family visits C.W. Post Saturday afternoon in its next game.
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