Box Score



KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University opened the game with a 17-2 run and held on for a crucial PSAC East win over visiting West Chester, 68-62, at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears played tenacious defense in the first half, holding the WCU to just 1-of-20 shooting to start the game and just 19 percent in the first half.
 
KU, meanwhile, hit 47 percent in the opening 20 minutes and carried a 34-21 lead into the intermission. 
 
In the second half, a bucket by Alyssa Bonenberger (Walnutport, PA/Northampton Area) gave Kutztown an 18-point lead, 41-23, lead with 17:04 to go.  The Golden Bears still led by 16 after a Tanejha Smith (Allentown, PA/William Allen) got a layup with 10:43 on the game clock to make it 55-39.
 
Just over a minute later, a basket by the Golden Rams' Ambreelinne Ortman ignited an 18-4 run.  A free throw by Ortman capped the run and trimmed Kutztown's lead to just 59-57 with 2:42 left. 
 
A lay in and two free throws by Ashley Wood (Limerick, PA/Spring-Ford) stretched the lead back to six at 63-57 with two minutes to go.  After Meghan Kerrigan scored to make it a four point game, Brittany Sicinski drilled a three to make it a 63-62 game with only 39 seconds to go.  The Golden Rams decided to foul after Wood sank 1-of-2, West Chester had two chances on its next possession but came up empty.  Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) iced the game with two free throws with three seconds left before a turnover by WCU sent Bonenberger to the charity stripe for the game's final points.
 
Advia Campbell (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, while Bonenberger had 10 boards. Both players came up just two points shy of a double-double.  Bonenberger added three blocks to her stat line.
 
Wood finished with a game-high 17 points.  Smith came off the bench for 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, her first double digit outing since the last meeting with West Chester.  Arianna Apostolopoulos (Yonkers, NY/Ursuline) had her second straight game in double figures with 10 points.  She also led the team with four assists.
 
KU had good ball movement all evening, with assists on 17 of the team's 26 made field goals.  The Golden Bears hit 44 percent overall land went 4-of-7 from three-point range (57 percent) and 12-of-14 from the foul line (86 percent).
 
After going just 7-of-36 from the field in the first half, West Chester improved the number to 32 percent by game's end. Sicinski led the team with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals.  Jasmen Clark netted 11, one more than Ortman's total. 
 
With the win, Kutztown earned a season sweep with the Golden Rams and moved a game ahead of them in the PSAC East standings.  KU sits in sole possession of fourth place with an 11-7 mark in conference play.  Shippensburg is a game ahead of the Golden Bears, while Millersville and Bloomsburg are tied for first with matching 13-5 records.
 
Kutztown hosts the Marauders on February 16 at 1 p.m.