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KUTZTOWN, Pa. (February 6, 2012)—Sophomore Avery Hodgson (Surf City, NJ/Southern Regional) (Surf City, NJ/ Southern Regional) of the Kutztown University women's basketball team is a jack of all trades, but her most loved talent is simply being on the basketball court.

As a youngster, Hodgson played the flute, piano, and even put her feet to the test with dance.

“When we were little my mom made us play sports and pick up an instrument,” Hodgson said. “I wasn't that good with dance or playing instruments, so I just stuck with basketball.”

The last time that the Golden Bears (6-16 overall) were on the court against West Chester University (15-5 overall) was back in January when it fell 78-73 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division game at Keystone Arena. Kutztown will travel 57 miles on Wednesday, Feb. 8 to face WCU for a PSAC matchup at Koehler Fieldhouse beginning at 6 p.m. The Golden Rams are currently second in the PSAC.

Both Kutztown and West Chester are coming off tough upsets on Saturday. KU fell to East Stroudsburg 56-52 in double overtime while WCU faced a 69-68 setback to Millersville.

Hodgson was a leading force against the Rams as she led Kutztown with 18 points. She turned in a 6-for-10 shooting performance from the field and hit all six free throw attempts. During the season, Hodgson has made 77 of 89 free throw attempts (86.5 %).

“That's where most of my scoring comes from,” Hodgson said. “We practice free throw shots a lot. I just block everyone out and focus while I'm on the line. I try to take advantage of the free shots.”

Hodgson, who is simply being modest, definitely puts up points all around the floor. She is averaging 10.5 points per game and has scored in double figures 11 times this season, with a career-high 24-point production against Gannon in November.

Additionally, Hodgson has recorded three double-doubles, proving that she can handle the ball on all sides. She leads Kutztown in blocks (24) and is seventh in the PSAC with 1.2 blocked shots a game. Hodgson is second on the team in rebounds (128) behind junior Steph Zewe (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley) (Lewiston, PA/ Indian Valley) who has grabbed 191 boards. Zewe is second in the PSAC in defensive rebounds (7.4/game) and third in rebounding (9.2/game).

“Being on defense is fun because you get to stop your opponent,” Hodgson said. “It allows you to be tough, but scoring is always fun too because you get to contribute to your team.”

The Golden Bears are led by junior Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) who is pulling in 14.9 ppg. Wood also leads the team in assists (66) and steals (30). Sophomore Andrea Sisson (Richmond, VA/Godwin) (Richmond, VA/ Godwin) is second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg).

Against West Chester, Kutztown placed a quartet of players in double figures in scoring. Followed by Hodgson were Sisson with 17 points, freshman Advia Campbell (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) (Mount Laurel, Lenape) with a career-high 12, and Wood chipped in 11.

Kutztown had an explosive first half where it shot 52.9 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from behind the arc. The Golden Bears took a 42-36 lead over West Chester at intermission.

However, Allison Hostetter's 21 points along with Ambreelinne Ortman's 17 led the Golden Rams to a victory. Hostetter leads West Chester in scoring (14.7 ppg) which is ninth in the PSAC. Alex Lennon is averaging 12.4 ppg, and Ortman tallies 12.1 per contest. Despite KU's stellar shooting performance, West Chester defense was prevalent as it grabbed 44 rebounds to KU's 29.

After traveling to West Chester on Wednesday, Kutztown will continue its three-game road series by taking on Millersville on Saturday, Feb. 11 and Cheyney on Wednesday, Feb. 15.