KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team will venture to Nelson Field House on Tuesday, Mar. 3 with the hopes of knocking out top-seeded Bloomsburg University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinals.
Ticket prices for the quarterfinals are $7 for adults and $2 for students. All PSAC students are admitted free with a valid ID from a PSAC institution. The original start time of 7:00 p.m. has been moved up to 5:30 p.m. due to expected weather.
The fourth-seeded Golden Bears have now sealed a spot in the PSAC Quarterfinals for the third-straight postseason, but have not advanced to the semifinals since 2010. They have a tall task ahead of them on Tuesday, as Bloomsburg is ranked No. 14 in the country and posted a 20-2 conference record throughout the regular season.
The Huskies won both regular season meetings against Kutztown this season, and have won the last 12 matchups dating back to the PSAC Quarterfinals in 2010. The Golden Bears gave them two good scares during the regular season this year however. While on the road, Kutztown led by five with under six minutes to play but a rally by the home team squashed the upset. Kutztown then hosted BU at Keystone Arena on KU's Senior Night, holding a halftime lead but not able to hold off the high-powered Huskies.
Bloomsburg had the day off this past Saturday with a first-round bye, while Kutztown showed solid play from both ends of the floor in its 74-52 first round win over Lock Haven. For the second game in a row, the Golden Bears executed smothering defense, allowing well below their season average in points against and will need to do that again to contain Bloom's offense. KU opened up the game hot and took a 16-point lead into halftime, but Lock Haven came out firing in the second to narrow the gap. Kutztown responded with a 19-0 run to secure the win.
Senior
Advia Campbell carried the squad past Lock Haven and surpassed 1,000 career points in the process. Campbell tied her career-high with 21 points and was a force on the boards with 15 rebounds for her third-straight double-double. Kutztown's leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker, Campbell will need to step up again in order to bring home the upset.
Speaking of stepping up, fellow senior
Elisa Gaffney has shined down the home stretch of the season. Gaffney is coming off three-straight games with 15+ points, and has scored in double figures in seven of KU's last 10 games.
Junior
Natalya Lee has played a critical role all season and consistently leads the Golden Bears in playing time. She has notched double figures in five of the last six games and a solid performance from beyond the arc for Lee could play a major factor against Bloom's top-ranked defense, which leads the PSAC with 58 points-allowed per game.
Senior
Alyssa Bonenberger is no stranger to big games or postseason competition. Kutztown will lean on her leadership and solid play at both ends of the floor.
Kelsey Watson is the only other Golden Bear besides Campbell to average double-digit scoring on the season, but has been held under 10 points in the last three games. Watson had a big game against Bloomsburg early on in the season, leading the team with 17 points and eight rebounds.
Bloomsburg features a balanced and veteran squad that can produce in a variety of ways. Four of the Huskies regular starters are upperclassmen with plenty of PSAC and NCAA playoff experience. Guard Marla Simmons ranks eighth in the PSAC with 14.4 points per game and has scored in double figures 19 times this season. Adreana Sadowksi is a force in the paint, averaging seven rebounds per game and ranking second in the conference with 2.3 blocks per outing.
The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal advances on to play the victor of the Gannon and California (PA) matchup on Saturday, Mar. 7 at a location to be determined.
