EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team erased a 17-point, fourth quarter deficit to climb to within six points (62-56) with 1:48 to go, but East Stroudsburg University held on for a 69-59 victory in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
Trailing 60-43 with 5:08 remaining, the Golden Bears (10-8 overall, 5-7 PSAC) went on a 13-2 run in a span of 3:20 to pull to within six. But the Warriors (11-5, 9-3) went 7-for-8 at the free-throw line in the final 1:05 to seal their fifth straight PSAC victory at home.
 
KU had three players in double-figures, led by 18 points from freshman Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick), 14 by Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) and 13 from Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn).
 
East Stroudsburg, which is third in the conference in turnover margin (5.60), forced 28 turnovers by Kutztown, the third highest KU has had this season. ESU's fast-break was helped by this, as it had a 14-4 advantage in scoring on the fast-break.
 
The Maroon and Gold trailed 15-10 after the first quarter and 37-26 at halftime. They outscored the Warriors 15-14 in the third quarter, but still trailed by double-digits 51-41 heading into the final quarter. The ESU lead grew to as much as 17, 60-43, with 5:08 left, but Kutztown never gave in. Behind six points from Derr, four by Thames and three by Wright, KU scored 13 of the game's next 15 points in a 3:20 spurt.
 
Three different Warriors combined to go 7-of-8 at the free-throw line to help ESU go back up by double-figures and stay there when the final buzzer sounded.
 
KU outrebounded ESU 47-33, including 15-8 on the offensive end. Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) led the team with 10 rebounds, followed by eight each by Derr and Kaila Brown (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill). Wright added six for the Golden Bears.
 
Derr, who entered the game ranked first in the PSAC in 3-pointers made per game (2.7) finished with six from beyond the arc, one shy of the school record of seven that she tied in KU's last game against Cheyney on Wednesday, Jan. 17. She now has 52 made 3-pointers on the season, tied for 10th best in program history.
 
Kutztown's bench, which came in averaging its most points per game (29.3) in the last 20 years, combined to total just four points. Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Ferguson recorded eight points and two points respectively to round out the starting five. Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Brown each had two points in reserve.
 
The Golden Bears entered Saturday in third place in the PSAC East Division, and after a 65-56 loss by Millersville to Gannon, KU remains in third, one-half game ahead of the Marauders.
 
Kutztown is back at Keystone Arena for its next game Wednesday, Jan. 24 against Lock Haven University at 5:30 p.m.