KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) scored a KU freshman-record 36 points as the Kutztown University women's basketball team clinched a spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs with a 73-69 win over the Shippensburg University Raiders on Monday evening.
 
Zerman's season-high 36 points rank third all-time in school history and are the most scored by a Golden Bear since Amy Wahl's school-record 39 points versus Quinnipiac on Dec. 20, 1996.  The Jonestown-native tallied 11 points in the opening 10 minutes, catching fire early and continuing to sizzle as the game progressed, making 6-of-7 three-point attempts. 
 
Zerman, Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) each scored in double-digits in the first half, staking the Maroon and Gold to a comfortable 37-29 halftime advantage. The Raiders, however, stormed back in the third quarter, erasing this deficit behind 14 points in the third from freshman Ariel Jones. Shippensburg continued to charge in the fourth, capping a 19-3 run, to take a 59-53 lead with 6:36 remaining.
 
KU would have the final say, however, holding off a valiant Raider effort by scoring 12 consecutive points in the final five minutes, eight of which came from Zerman, to go ahead 70-61 with just 46 seconds to go. In a game that was not short of fireworks, a few missed free throws in the waning moments gave Shippensburg a glimmer of hope, but Zerman put the game on ice with two makes from the line with seven seconds left.
 
Derr finished with 15 points in support of her fellow freshman, making three triples and adding four free throws, extending her consecutive games streak with a three-point make to 16. Lapkiewicz added 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block, continuing to provide whatever her team needs as the season winds down.
 
For Shippensburg, Jones was outstanding, playing all 40 minutes and tallying 26 points, five boards and four steals, making all 11 of her free-throw attempts. The Raiders fall to 5-19 and 4-14 in the PSAC while the Golden Bears improve to 14-10 and 9-9 in conference play.
 
Securing its 11th home win, KU has won its most games at Keystone Arena since 2008-09 and its 14 overall wins are the most for the program since 2012-13. In punching its ticket to the playoffs, Kutztown secures its second straight postseason berth and eighth in the last 10 seasons under head coach Janet Malouf. 

The Maroon and Gold have a quick turnaround for their next contest, facing off with the Millersville University Marauders at home on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m.