BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Alex Heck (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia U.)) and Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) combined for 39 points as the Kutztown University women's basketball team never trailed in its 74-61 win at Bloomsburg University and Nelson Field House Wednesday night. The win punched KU's ticket to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs.
 
KU has won six of its last eight games and remains in fourth place in the PSAC Eastern Division. It snapped a 15-game losing streak against Bloomsburg, the first win over Bloomsburg for the KU senior class.
 
2017 marks the fourth time in the last five years KU will compete in the postseason, who can clinch a home playoff game and the No. 3 seed in the PSAC Tournament with a win Saturday at West Chester.
 
If KU falls to West Chester Saturday, it will need a Bloomsburg loss to Lock Haven to give KU the No. 4 seed and a home playoff game. If KU falls and Bloomsburg wins, the teams would be tied for fourth and Bloomsburg would win a potential tiebreaker over KU based on its results vs. Lock Haven and/or Millersville.
 
The Golden Bears (12-17, 8-12 PSAC) avenged a previous loss to Bloomsburg on Jan. 18, when KU led by 17 points in the second half in a two-point defeat.
 
Heck led the way with 21 points for Kutztown, her most since scoring 30 on Jan. 3 against Clarion. It is the fourth double-digit game in her last five. She did most of her damage off mid-range jumpers and finished the night 9-for-19 from the field with five rebounds.
 
Altomare buried three 3-pointers for 18 points Wednesday night – 11 in the second half - her best scoring effort since Dec. 19 at Philadelphia U. She shot 4-of-6 from the field and made all seven of her free throws. She improved to 189 3's in her career and two shy of the school-record.
 
Sierra Taylor (Williamstown, N.J./Camden Catholic) rounded out KU's double-digit scorers with 10 points and five assists.
 
As a team, KU shot 18-for-20 at the free throw line and 47.3 percent from the field – its best since Jan. 9.
 
Kutztown led from the first basket Wednesday night and by double-digits on multiple occasions in the first half. Bloomsburg put together a late charge toward the end of the half, but an And-1 3-pointer by Altomare in the final seconds gave KU back the momentum and a 35-26 lead at the half.
 
Bloomsburg clawed within seven in the fourth quarter, but would not get any closer.
 
The Huskies were led by Morgan Klunk's game-high 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
 
Kutztown closes out its regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at West Chester University. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.