Box Score



Kutztown 59, East Stroudsburg 58 (HTML Box Score) | Photo Gallery
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – For the second game in a row, the Kutztown University women's basketball team squeezed out a last-second victory, as the Golden Bears fought back the entire second half to overcome the East Stroudsburg Warriors 59-58 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup on Saturday afternoon from Keystone Arena.
 
Down by two with seven seconds to play, freshman Jess Harvey (Barnegat, N.J./Rumson Fair-Haven Regional) fearlessly drove through the left side of the lane to sink a layup and consequently draw the foul. With the game tied 58-58, Harvey sank her free throw to give the Golden Bears (3-2, 1-0 PSAC East) their first lead since the final two minutes of the first half.
 
ESU (1-2, 1-1) put the ball in the hands of Ryann Fiascki, flying down the court with no time to spare. She launched a pass into the paint for the go-ahead bucket, but Alyssa Bonenberger (Walnutport, PA/Northampton Area) jumped in front for the steal, draining the final two seconds on the clock to secure the Kutztown victory, its third in a row.
 
"Alyssa is such a leader for our team, a true veteran that comes out and plays hard every time," head coach Janet Malouf said. "Sometimes she will struggle shooting from the floor, but whether it be through rebounding or that final steal today, she always finds a way for us to get a win."
 
Bonenberger finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, the eighth career double-double for the redshirt junior forward. She shot 5-for-8 from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, adding three assists and two steals.
 
Kara Funk (Dover, Pa./Dover) quietly played a crucial role in the KU victory, scoring eight points in the second half to finish with 13, a career-high. The freshman guard sunk eight of her 11 free throws, also a career-high, and nailed her only three-point attempt.
 
"Kara is a hard-nosed player," Malouf said. "She has some spots where she is playing really well and also some times where she will struggle because she loses focus from playing so hard. She's been doing a great job and has given the team a spark, and that's exactly what we want."
 
Harvey finished with six points, none bigger than the three in the final seconds. The young guard has done a nice job of running the point for the Golden Bears, contributing three assists and two steals against ESU.                                                                                           
"Our shots were not dropping today, and in the second half coach told us to drive to the basket and look for some fouls, " Harvey said. " Kara did a great job of bringing us back with her free throws, we just needed to keep driving to the basket and that's what I did."
 
The two squads fought back and forth over the course of the first half, with neither team able to gain an advantage as the score was tied at 24 going into halftime.
 
"They started hitting a lot of their shots and were controlling the tempo," Harvey said. "Coach told us we needed some early stops on defense so we could regain control of the tempo in the second half. I think controlling the tempo throughout the entire course of the game is something we need to improve on."
 
"We are still struggling to score baskets," Malouf said. "We have some spots where we do well in spurts. With a lot of young kids, multiple freshmen are playing a lot of minutes and they will continue to learn and get better as the season progresses."
 
Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) finished third on the team with eight points, a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. The sophomore guard added five boards, three assists, and three steals in 37 minutes on the floor. Advia Campbell (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) knocked down eight points and recorded Kutztown's only block.
 
Kutztown will wrap up its three-game home stretch with an exhibition game against Liberty on Monday, Nov. 25 and will then head to Mansfield on Dec. 4 for a PSAC matchup.