BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team has a lot of confidence and momentum as it enters the 2018-19 season, and it only bettered itself in the pre-season. KU concluded its two-game, exhibition tour with top Division I programs with a 73-39 defeat at Lehigh University out of the Patriot League Tuesday night at Stabler Arena.
 
The Mountain Hawks (1-0 overall) opened up the game on a 5-0 run, but the Golden Bears countered with a 7-0 run of their own, capped by a layup from Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), to go up 7-5 with 5:48 to go in the first quarter.
 
That would be the closest Kutztown would get to Lehigh as the Mountain Hawks then went on an 11-2 run to close out the quarter. Lehigh used a 31-2 run spanning the first and second quarters to build a 42-12 halftime lead.
 
All 13 Golden Bears played at least eight minutes.
 
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) led the way with nine points, three rebounds and a steal. Kaylan Jackson (Germantown, Md./Clarksburg) also had a nice game for KU, tallying six points, four rebounds and two steals. Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) also contributed six points, including 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.
 
Kutztown opens up their regular season schedule in the KU Conference Challenge beginning this Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. against Lincoln (PA) at Keystone Arena. KU then takes on Fayetteville State the following day, Saturday, at 4 p.m.