KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team used an 18-4 run over the final 5:33 of the first half to pull ahead and never turn back in its 79-61 non-conference win over Chestnut Hill College Tuesday night at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (3-1) did not surrender their double-digit lead for the remainder of the game and led by as many as 24 points late in the fourth quarter. The second-quarter run was Kutztown's best stint of the game as it overcame a below-average start of missing 15 of its first 19 shots.

KU is off to its first 3-1 start since the 2010-11 season.
 
Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) and Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) scored 28 of their 30 combined points in the first half. Altomare made half of KU's three-pointers with a 4-of-6 performance beyond the arc. She grabbed a career-high seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Lee was second on the team with five assists in 35 minutes, her third straight game playing 35+ minutes. For her career, Lee has scored 925 points.
 
As a team, KU dished out assists on 23-of-30 field goals.
 
Junior Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) scored 13 points and was active on defense. She had six rebounds and a career-high five steals and three blocks.
 
Freshman Mariah Maciejewski (Dunmore, Pa./Dunmore) is off to a fantastic start inside Keystone Arena. She has scored in double figures in each of her two games at home this year. She had 10 points and seven rebounds Tuesday night, along with a season-high three blocks in 14 minutes.
 
Starting center Gina Lewis (Atlantic City, N.J./Holy Spirit) posted eight points and a career-high eight rebounds and three blocks. As a team, Kutztown's 12 blocks are the third-most in program history.
 
Freshman Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) dished out seven assists, the highest for a Golden Bear this season. Kara Funk (Dover, Pa./Dover) started at guard and had a career-high five assists.
 
Chestnut Hill (1-1) utilized five players for the majority of the game. Mary Trossi was the team's lone double-digit scorer with 15. She never stepped off the floor. Jaeda Wildgoose had 10+ rebounds in the first half and finished with 15 boards and nine points.
 
The Golden Bears return to action after the Thanksgiving holiday with a home contest on Saturday, Nov. 28 against Penn State Lehigh Valley. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.