HTML Box Score SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – For the second game in a row, the Kutztown University women's basketball team had the ball in its hands for the final shot at the buzzer. The Golden Bears could not get the friendly roll on the road, as they fell to Shippensburg University on Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup from Hieges Field House, 68-66.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from the opening tip, featuring 14 ties and 18 lead changes throughout the contest.
With 33 seconds left to play and Kutztown (10-14, 9-11 PSAC E) trailing by two,
Natalya Lee found
Alyssa Bonenberger on the swing around the arc, as Bonenberger swished a clutch triple to claim a 66-65 lead for KU.
After Shippensburg (16-9, 12-7 PSAC E) missed a layup on the ensuing possession, Stephanie Knauer brought down a big offensive rebound inside, forcing KU to foul. Knauer sank the first to tie the score and missed the second, but Morgan Griffith hustled for another offensive board to give the Raiders a fresh possession. Lauren Gold drove to the bucket with five seconds left but was fouled in the paint.
Gold, the best free-throw shooter in the PSAC at 87.7 percent, nailed both attempts for a two-point lead. Kutztown inbounded with 4.4 seconds to play, driving the entire length of the court, but the running jumper rimmed out as time expired.
Despite the setback, Kutztown executed its best shooting performance this season. The Golden Bears shot 27-of-52 from the field for a season-high 51.9 percent clip, went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and 9-for-14 from the free-throw line.
In the first half, Kutztown fired off an 8-0 run to go up 18-10, which would hold as the largest lead of the game for either team. The Raiders countered with a 12-0 run of their own to retake the advantage.
Advia Campbell and
Kelsey Watson each had huge games down low against one of the tougher frontcourts in the league. Campbell tied her career high with 21 points and brought down 11 rebounds for her second-straight double-double and seventh of the season. Watson got off to a hot start, opening the game 5-for-6 from the field for 12 points in the first half. She finished with 18 points, one shy of her career high, and has now surpassed the 500-point mark in her young career.
Bonenberger tallied nine points, while Lee and
Elisa Gaffney recorded eight each. Bonenberger's two rebounds gives her 658 for her career and moves her up to eighth all-time on the KU record books. Lee knocked down both of her attempts from beyond the arc and dished out three assists. Gaffney saw her first career start in the absence of
Brianna Morales, finishing with career highs in minutes (36), rebounds (7) and assists (4).
The Kutztown starters scored 64 of the team's 66 points.
The Raiders received a balanced attack from their starting five, attributing for all but six of the team's points. Gold led the way with 15 points and some key free throws down the stretch. Colleen Young, Logan Snyder and Knauer each knocked down 12 points and Griffith locked in a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
After three games on the road, the Golden Bears will return home to Keystone Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 18 for a PSAC contest with Bloomsburg University. If Kutztown defeats Bloomsburg and Millersville falls to Shippensburg, the Golden Bears can lock up a playoff spot. For the final home game of the regular season, KU will celebrate senior day as well as the Play4Kay initiative with a 5:30 start time. The Huskies took the first matchup this season, 70-57.
