SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Kutztown University women's basketball team wrapped up the meat of its non-conference schedule on Saturday evening, falling to the Saint Mary's (TX) University Rattlers 55-45. 
 
SMU built an early lead, ahead 18-10 after the first quarter and 30-20 at halftime. A cold-shooting performance from Kutztown allowed the Rattlers to maintain this advantage to the finish as both teams scored 25 points each in the second half. 
 
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) led KU with 12 points, her fifth game in double-figures this season, and had a team-high 12 rebounds for her first career double-double. Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) had 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) each added nine a piece. 
 
The Maroon and Gold outplayed the Rattlers in many facets of the game, winning the battle on the offensive glass and the turnover game. Kutztown also attempted 13 more field goals than SMU, but just couldn't find its stroke for the second consecutive contest, shooting 23.8 percent from the field. 
 
KU's defense kept it in the game as the Golden Bears held St. Mary's to 36.0 percent shooting and limited the Rattlers to just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. The 37 3-PT attempts for KU are the second-most in program history, trailing only the 39 attempts on Nov. 25, 2017 against PSU Lehigh Valley. 
 
After facing a stiff non-conference slate, Kutztown (1-5 overall) will now open its season in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) at home on Saturday, Dec. 1, taking on No. 5 Indiana (PA) at 1 p.m.