KU Game Notes | Video | Live Stats | Live Audio (KUR)
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Fresh off of a 74-61 victory over Bloomsburg Wednesday night, the Kutztown University women's basketball team looks to gain a three-game winning streak as it hits the road for its final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular-season contest against West Chester this Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 1 p.m.
KUR will be making the trip and providing live radio coverage of the Golden Bears' regular-season finale. Be sure to listen to the game here by
clicking here.
Wednesday's win snapped a 15-game losing streak for the Golden Bears (12-17, 9-12 PSAC) against Bloomsburg, clinching a PSAC playoff berth and placing KU at fourth in the PSAC East with one game remaining in the season.
A win in their final regular-season contest can clinch the No. 3 seed in the PSAC Tournament and a home playoff game for the Golden Bears. If KU loses Saturday night, it would need a Bloomsburg loss to clinch the No. 4 seed and host a game Monday, Feb. 27.
The Maroon and Gold led from the first basket on Wednesday, taking a double-digit lead over the Huskies seven times within the first half. A free throw from
Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) in the last second of the half gave KU a nine-point advantage heading into the locker room, 35-26.
A jumper from
Alex Heck (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia U.)) at the three-second mark of the third quarter gave the Maroon and Gold a game-high 15-point advantage heading into the fourth. The Huskies reduced that lead to seven points with 2:00 left in regulation, but
Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) went 2-for-2 at the free throw line, and KU later scored 10 of the final 14 points within 1:38 of play.
Heck led the Golden Bears with 21 points on the evening – her fourth double-digit game in the last five – and a team-leading five rebounds. She sits at 19th in the PSAC in points per game (13.1) and 12th in rebounds per game (7.2).
Altomare picked up three 3-pointers for 18 total points on the evening, bringing her to 189 for her career, just two shy of the school-record. She is holding steady at fourth in the PSAC in 3-pointers per game (2.3).
Sierra Taylor (Williamstown, N.J./Camden Catholic), the third double-digit scorer for the Golden Bears, racked up 10 points and a game-high five assists. Averaging 4.2 assists per game, she is currently 6th in the PSAC.
Kutztown defeated West Chester in its first matchup of the 2016-17 season on Jan. 25 by a close margin, 72-70. The Maroon and Gold bounced back from a game-high 12-point deficit at the half to tie the score with the Golden Rams with 2:50 left in regulation, 70-70. A jumper from Taylor with nine seconds to spare helped KU edge its opponent for the final score of the night.
West Chester (10-15, 10-11 PSAC) is coming off of a 74-68 victory against Millersville Wednesday evening, which ended a five-game losing streak for the Golden Rams. They are led by Porscha Speller, who is 11th in the PSAC at 14.3 points per game.
Following Saturday's matchup, the Golden Bears play in the First Round of the PSAC Tournament on Monday, Feb. 27, with a time and location yet to be determined.
