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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sitting in third-place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's (PSAC) Eastern Division, the Kutztown University women's basketball team will travel to fourth-place Millersville University for a pivotal matchup with the Marauders on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 13. Tip-off from Pucillo Gymnasium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Golden Bears (9-6, 4-5 PSAC) improved their home record to 8-1 on the season in their last contest, defeating Mansfield, 79-60, Wednesday night. Kutztown's on-ball pressure gave the Mountaineers fits all evening, forcing 35 turnovers and collecting a season-high 23 steals.
Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) orchestrated a 13-3 run in the third quarter, scoring seven points during this spurt, to put her team ahead 48-33 at the 4:53 mark, a lead KU would see to the finish line.
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) continues to prove herself as one of the premier shooters in the PSAC in her freshman campaign, knocking down three first-half triples on her way to 12 total points, her 12th game this season scoring in double-digits.
The tilt against the Marauders will be meaningful for head coach
Janet Malouf's squad in several ways. First, they look to separate themselves from the middle of the pack, with the ability to go 1.5 games clear in third-place with a victory. Second, this one is about revenge, as Millersville ended KU's season on Feb. 27, 2017, winning a first-round PSAC playoff game between these two sides, 69-65, at Keystone Arena. Lastly, this will be an opportunity to get a statement win on the road for a side which is 1-5 away from its home floor and has seven road games remaining this season.
Millersville, coached by the steady hand of Mary Fleig in her 28th season at the helm, features a two-fold attack with guard Alayah Hall and forward Kendra Bamberger. Hall, a senior point guard from Dover, leads MU in scoring and assists, averaging 15.9 ppg and 3.1 apg. Bamberger, a Fleetwood native, ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding, grabbing 7.7 rebounds per game, while also scoring 12.5 points per game at an efficient 43.8 percent clip. Spectators can expect to see this duo on the floor for a majority of the 40 minutes, as the two average 35.6 and 34.0 minutes per game, respectively.
The final two matchups between KU and MU last season were tightly-contested, decided by a total of six points, of which should be the expectation in Saturday's meeting. Both sides, in record and statistical figures, are neck-and-neck across the board. However, one area that the Golden Bears could look to exploit comes from beyond the three-point line. Kutztown has averaged 6.7 made triples per game, holding an 8-2 record when making six or more threes. In contrast, Millersville sits towards the bottom of the PSAC with just 4.4 made three-pointers per game, having made six or more three-pointers just five times this season. In a game expected to come down-to-the-wire, there is a distinct possibility that a few extra tallies by way of three-point field goals could swing the result in KU's direction.
Live stats, video and game notes are available via the links above, which can also be accessed on www.kubears.com.
