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Game Notes
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Following a few extra days of rest due to Monday evening's postponed game against Shippensburg, the Kutztown University women's basketball team welcomes the Mansfield University Mountaineers to Keystone Arena on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
For KU fans, free admission will be provided to the game with the donation of canned goods or non-perishable items as part of KU's "Bears Who Care" initiative.
In their last competition, the Maroon and Gold traveled to No. 15 Edinboro on Saturday, Jan. 6 and suffered an 86-65 setback in that contest.
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) scored in double-figures for the 11th time in her freshman campaign, totaling a team-high 17 points on 3-of-8 shooting from distance and adding three assists and three steals.
Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) poured in 13 points, going 6-of-11 from the field, joining Derr to make up KU's duo in double figures.
The Golden Bears' return home is a welcome sight for a team which has won seven of eight games this season at Keystone Arena, most recently claiming a 53-45 victory over Bloomsburg on Jan. 3. The Mountaineers are led by Brielle Kelly, an experienced, efficient forward who is scoring 19.4 ppg, fourth best in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Kelly and Alyssa Mullins make up Mansfield's 'twin towers' inside, standing at 5-11 and 6-0, respectively, averaging a combined 30.8 points per game and 13.7 rebounds per game. Kutztown's tandem in the paint, comprised of
Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) and
Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham), will have its hands full with Kelly and Mullins and will need to deliver a good defensive performance, both on the ball and on the glass, to neutralize MU's formidable combo.
Beyond the battle on the inside, each team's performance from the three-point line could be the difference in this affair, as KU holds a 7-2 record when making six or more three-pointers, but is just 1-4 in games with less than six three-point makes. On the flip side, Mansfield is second to last in the PSAC, shooting at a 26.1 percent clip from distance and averaging 4.7 made three-pointers per game compared to Kutztown's average of 6.5 made three-pointers per game.
For the Maroon and Gold, freshmen sharpshooters Derr and
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) have combined for 54 made three-pointers at a 33.7 percent clip, cementing themselves as two of the best shooters in the conference in their first year. If Smith and Derr get going early from deep, a streaky Kutztown offense has the ability to score in bunches, of which a Mansfield team averaging just 60.1 ppg will struggle to keep up with. However, a slow start for both sides could favor a Mountaineer squad which has averaged 67.8 ppg in its five wins this season while KU has averaged 74.2 ppg in its eight wins.
Live stats, video and game notes are available via the links above, which can also be accessed on
www.kubears.com.
