Box Score



West Liberty 80, Kutztown 74 (HTML Box Score)
 
GLENVILLE, W. Va. – Sophomore Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) scored a career-high 22 points and was one of two catalysts in a near-comeback as the Kutztown University women's basketball team opened its season with an 80-74 defeat to West Liberty State University on Friday evening in a neutral site game hosted at Jesse R. Lilly Gym at Glenville State College.
 
Trailing by 23 points with 7:27 to play, the Golden Bears (0-1) mounted a 16-point run to draw within seven points with less than two minutes to play. Lee scored eight of her 22 points in Kutztown's 21-5 run including two of her team-high three three-pointers.
 
Stepping up when her team needed her most was freshman forward Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton). She scored 11 points in the run, and 17 of her 19 points in the second half. Watson also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for her first career double-double in her first career game.

Watson's 19 points marked the highest scoring total for a freshman in a season-opener since Tricia McElmoyle dropped 26 points with eight rebounds in the 2005-06 opener against Columbia Union.
 
As much as Kutztown's effort and tenacity to fight to the finish in the late run can be applauded, early woes put the Golden Bears in an early deficit that proved to be too large to overcome.
 
West Liberty (1-0) opened up its first double-digit lead of the game midway through the first half. Spanning more than five minutes, it went on a 12-0 run to take a 26-12 lead with 7:56 to play in the first half. The run escalated to 22-2 as the Golden Bears were in a 22-point hole three minutes later. Kutztown trailed 41-28 at halftime.
 
Kutztown opened the second half with a bucket by Advia Campbell (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), but West Liberty answered with the next eight points to build the momentum back in its favor. The Hilltopper lead grew to a game-high 25 points less than five minutes into the second half. It took Kutztown nearly 13 minutes into the half to pick itself up and begin the eventual 21-5 run.
 
Lee's career high was built on 7-for-16 shooting and a 5-for-6 performance from the free throw line. Her previous high were a pair of 20-point outings last season including Kutztown's playoff victory against West Chester.
 
Watson played in 32 minutes off the bench and shot an impressive 8-for-11 from the field. Four of her 11 rebounds came on the offensive end. Campbell scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, and Alyssa Bonenberger (Walnutport, PA/Northampton Area)'s 10 points rounded out Kutztown's quartet of double-digit scorers.
 
Freshman Jess Harvey (Barnegat, N.J./Rumson Fair-Haven Regional) started at point guard in her first collegiate game Friday night and dished out a team-high three assists.
 
The Hilltoppers also had four players score in double figures. Liz Flowers led the game with 21 points with a game-high four three-pointers. Jasmin Kiley had 19 points in 24 minutes, Kierra Simpson had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Jenn Mohney scored 10 points.
 
Kutztown remains in West Virginia and will face hosting Glenville State on Saturday, Nov. 9 for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.