KUTZTOWN, Pa. – In a nail-biting, back-and-forth game decided by single digits, the Kutztown University women's basketball team's defensive effort helped the Golden Bears ward off Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division foe Lock Haven University, 47-41, on Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena.
 
The 41 points were the fewest KU has allowed in a win in nearly two years, dating back to East Stroudsburg scoring 41 on February 25, 2015. Lock Haven shot just 28.3 percent (15-53) on the afternoon.
 
With Kutztown (5-11 PSAC, 8-16) leading 38-36 with just over five minutes remaining, a Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) layup sparked five straight points that helped the Maroon and Gold pull away for good. A 3-pointer by Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) gave KU the largest lead of the game, 43-36, with just 3:57 to go.
 
Lock Haven (4-12, 7-13) came within three points with 24 seconds left, but Sierra Taylor (Williamstown, N.J./Camden Catholic) went three-for-four from the free throw line in the final minute to secure the victory, which gave Kutztown sole possession of the sixth place in the PSAC East - the final playoff berth in the division - with six games remaining in the season.
 
Those three foul shots neared Taylor to triple-double numbers with 10 points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists. The eight rebounds were one short of tying her career-best.
 
Jenna Altomare (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) led KU with 11 points on the day and hit two 3-pointers to move into 10th place in the program's single-season history with 51 trifectas on the year.
 
Alex Heck (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia U.)) added seven points and four rebounds, while Watson stuffed the stat sheet with six points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
 
Lapkiewicz contributed six points and a career-high three blocks to go along with seven rebounds, which were one shy of a career-best.
 
Lock Haven's Lysa Mealing led all players with 17 points with 12 rebounds.
 
Neither team held a dominating lead during the course of the afternoon as the largest lead was five prior to Lapkiewicz's 3-pointer. There were six lead changes and six ties.
 
Five of those lead changes came in the first half as neither team led by more than three points. An LHU layup with 45 seconds left put the Bald Eagles ahead of the Golden Bears by three points, 19-16, heading into the locker room.
 
Lock Haven held onto that lead until Altomare drained a 3-pointer at the 5:27 mark of the third quarter and Heck gave KU the game's final lead change on a free throw 1:35 later. The Bald Eagles tied it with under a minute left but Taylor hit a jumper in the lane four seconds before the buzzer to give the Golden Bears a two-point advantage, 30-28, entering the fourth.
 
There were two more ties in the fourth quarter, the final coming with 6:44 to go, before Kutztown took the lead for good on an Altomare jumper 27 seconds later.
 
The Maroon and Gold return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 8 to host Mansfield at 5:30 p.m. Student-athletes who achieved Dean's List in the fall semester will be recognized at halftime.