EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Although the Kutztown University women's basketball team outscored East Stroudsburg 43-29 in the second half, two 14-0 first half runs put the Golden Bears in an early hole they could not dig out from as they fell to the Warriors, 74-62, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup on Wednesday night in Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
East Stroudsburg (5-5 PSAC, 9-5) used a 14-0 run in both the first and second quarters to build a 45-19 advantage at the half and it would not look back. The closest KU got in the second half was 12 when it scored the final two points of the evening.
 
Kutztown (2-8, 5-13) did take a 4-2 lead just 1:20 into the contest when Alex Heck (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia U.)) made two free throws but from there ESU took control. Ahead 11-8 midway through the first quarter, the Warriors produced their first stretch of 14 unanswered in just 3:08 to go ahead 25-8 on two free throws with 2:45 remaining.
 
Sierra Taylor (Williamstown, N.J./Camden Catholic) did her best to cut into the deficit by scoring seven in a stretch of eight straight KU points to make the score 17-27 with a 3-pointer 15 seconds out of the first quarter break, but that would be the Maroon and Gold's last point for over seven minutes. East Stroudsburg took advantage with its second 14-0 surge, this one culminating on a trifecta that put the Warriors on top 41-17 with 3:40 left in the half.   
 
Taylor ended the game one rebound shy of her first career double-double with 14 points. The nine boards were a new career-high and she added four assists and two steals.
 
Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) led all players with 17 points and also had two steals.
 
Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) and Heck each had eight points and contributed nine and seven rebounds, respectively. For Ferguson, she fell one board shy of her second career double-digit rebounding performance.
 
Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) and Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) finished with seven points each, with Altomare extending her school-record streak for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 42.
 
ESU had three players in double figures, led by Noelle Powell's 16. Madison Tamburni grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with 13 points, and Imani Brown chipped in with 12 points.
 
Although it only shot 41.3 percent (26-63), East Stroudsburg held Kutztown to 34.4 percent (22-64) from the field and held a 45-37 edge in rebounding. The Warriors also made five more 3-pointers and saw their bench outscore the Golden Bear bench 27-9.
 
KU is back on the road on Saturday, Jan. 14 when it travels to Mansfield for a 1 p.m. tip.