MANSFIELD, Pa. - The Kutztown University women's basketball team needed to win its remaining two games of the season and get some outside help in order to have a chance to clinch the sixth and final spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division, the last position that advances to the postseason.
 
The Golden Bears are two-thirds of the way towards their goal after action finished on Saturday, Feb. 20.
 
At the end of the day, it created a win-and-you're-in scenario for the Golden Bears at Keystone Arena against West Chester University during their last-game of the season Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
 
First, Kutztown got a strong 84-75 road-win against Mansfield University at Decker Gymnasium on Saturday, fueled by four scorers in double-digits and the team finishing the day shooting 10-for-20 on 3-pointers to keep it alive in the playoff race.
 
Kutztown didn't trail all afternoon after taking a two-point lead off of a Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) layup with 7:29 left in the first quarter. The Golden Bears would remain in the lead until the final-horn of the third quarter, when Katie Fitzpatrick hit a lay-up for Mansfield with one-second left to tie it up at 54. Kutztown took the lead again 1:07 into the fourth and went on a 30-21 run during the final quarter to collect the late-season win.
 
Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) led the way for the Golden Bears (10-15, 7-14 PSAC) with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. The six-made 3-pointers were one shy of tying the school-record of seven, and gave Altomare 80 3's on the season, one shy of tying the school-record of 81. She also moved into the seventh-spot for career 3-pointers made in Kutztown history with 120.
 
Watson (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Gina Lewis (Atlantic City, N.J./Holy Spirit) (17 points, 10 rebounds) both finished the afternoon with double-doubles, while Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) chipped in 16 points and three assists.  It was Watson's eighth and Lewis's first double-double on the year. It was Lee's 22nd game of the year scoring in double-digits.
 
Kutztown got scoring from six-different players during its fourth-quarter run.

The Golden Bears shot 50 percent on their 3-point attempts (10-for-20) while holding Mansfield to 16.7 percent (2-for-12). Kutztown held a slight 43-36 edge on total rebounds. The Golden Bears recovered 16 offensive rebounds, leading to 14 second-chance points. 
 
Mansfield (6-18, 3-17) was led on offense by Katie Fitzpatrick's 15 points and seven assists.  Jessica Crawley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Mountaineers doubled KU in bench-points, finishing the day with 42.  Mansfield had five double-digit scorers. 
 
Kutztown got the outside help it needed when East Stroudsburg University defeated Lock Haven in LHU's last game of the season, 65-55. The Bald Eagles ended the year 11-15, 8-14 PSAC, meaning that a win on Wednesday against West Chester would leapfrog Kutztown into the playoffs, with KU holding the tiebreaker over LHU. 
 
Kutztown faces a win-and-in playoff scenario against the Golden Rams at Keystone Arena on its Senior Night, Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.