KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team fell to the visiting Millersville University Marauders on Wednesday evening, 64-57, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action from Keystone Arena.
 
Down seven at the half, the Golden Bears came out refreshed to start the third quarter, ripping off a 10-0 run to go ahead 33-30 with 5:20 remaining in the third. Millersville got back on top by the end of the quarter, up by two with the score 44-42 in its favor headed into the final ten minutes. A three-pointer by Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) tied the game at 48-all with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter, but the Marauders closed the game on a 16-9 spurt to secure the victory.
 
Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) scored in double-digits for Kutztown, with each tallying 19 points in the game. Derr, who made three triples extending her consecutive games with a three-point make to 17 in-a-row, also nabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out four assists to lead KU. This duo combined for 38 points, but outside of these two, the Maroon and Gold couldn't get anything going on the offensive end as the rest of the lineup scored just 19 points.
 
Both teams got off to a sluggish start, scoring a combined 22 points in the opening ten minutes with the Marauders holding a slim 12-10 advantage at the first quarter horn. Millersville began to hit its stride offensively in the final ten minutes before halftime, outscoring KU 18-13 in the second stanza to take a 30-23 lead into the locker room.
 
The Maroon and Gold seemed to be battling fatigue from having its second game in a three-day span, shooting just 31.3 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from distance. The shooting difficulties allowed MU to get out in transition on 46 missed Kutztown shots, of which speedy point guard Alayah Hall led the fast break effectively for the entirety of the game. Hall scored a game-high 22 points and had five steals, making 10-of-13 free-throw attempts. Lauren Lister was the beneficiary of many of those fast break opportunities, joining Hall in double-figures with 15 points. In total, Millersville outscored the Golden Bears, 16-2 in fast break points, with Hall's speed and handle neutralizing the KU full-court pressure.
 
The loss is just the third home defeat for KU this season as it falls to 14-11 and 9-10 in the PSAC while Millersville moves itself into third-place in front of Kutztown, improving its record to 13-11 and an even 10-10 in conference play.
 
KU is back in action on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 17, traveling to Cheyney to take on the Wolves for a 1 p.m. tip.