SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Some days, the ball just doesn't go in the hoop. The Kutztown University women's basketball team debuted its young team Friday afternoon, but struggled from the floor in a season-opening loss to Bowie State University, 53-35, at Shippensburg's Wolf's Bus Lines Classic.
 
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) scored seven points off the bench in her first game as a Golden Bear. She shot 4-of-4 from the free throw line in 15 minutes. Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) also made all four of her free throws in a six-point effort.
 
The Golden Bears (0-1) were forced to overcome a two-point first quarter and 10-point first half in their first game of the season. Kutztown's defense kept it in the game, holding Bowie State to 18 points in the first half for an eight-point deficit at the break.
 
The Bulldogs roared to a +16 third quarter, however, putting Kutztown in too far a deficit to overcome. Bowie State's defense tallied 17 steals on the day and continued to disrupt the KU offense.
 
Kyah Proctor led the way for the Bulldogs, scoring 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
 
Kutztown returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 11, to face Wheeling Jesuit at 1 p.m.