CHEYNEY, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team had four players score in double-figures led by 20 points from
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) in a 70-65 victory over a tough Cheyney University squad on the road on Saturday afternoon, securing head coach
Janet Malouf's 350th career win.
Malouf, the winningest women's basketball coach in school history, ranks fifth all-time in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in career wins, reaching the 350-win milestone versus Cheyney. She will have the opportunity to move in fourth-place in PSAC career victories with a minimum of three games remaining for Kutztown, needing 353 to pass Clarion's Margaret Parsons (352).
Derr picked up where she left off in the two sides' last meeting, in which she tied a school-record with seven three-pointers, making 6-of-8 attempts from distance with four of those coming in the opening 20 minutes. Derr, who now sits at 75 made three-pointers this season, continues to climb Kutztown's all-time single season three-pointers made list, surpassing Jenna Altomare's 71 made triples from 2016-17, moving her into third all-time.
Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) delivered the inside production that KU has been lacking of late, going 4-for-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line, totaling 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) and
Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) also scored in double-digits, tallying 11 and 10 points, respectively. Zerman, Lapkiewicz and
Kalee Fuegel (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) made their presence felt in facilitating the offense just as much as in the scoring column, combining for nine of the team's 12 assists. The Maroon and Gold offense found its footing after struggling in its last time out versus Millersville, shooting 46 percent overall and a blistering 11-of-16 from distance (68.8 percent).
Ta'Kayla Ellis and Ja'La Walker did all they could for the Wolves, combining for 34 of the team's 65 points. Ellis, who was honored in the fourth quarter for surpassing the 1000 career points mark, scored 20, adding six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 32 minutes of play. Walker went 7-for-13 registering 14 points, many of which came in the paint, and ripped down 10 rebounds to record a double-double before fouling out with one minute to go.
This game was, as expected, a battle for the full 40 minutes with both teams trading runs as the contest progressed. Cheyney led 22-21 after the first quarter, but a 21-point second quarter for KU put it ahead 42-35 at the halftime buzzer. The result looked well-in-hand for the Golden Bears late into the third quarter as a Zerman free throw put them ahead 51-43 with 1:42 left.
However, a 7-3 spurt to close the third brought the Wolves within four, trailing 54-50 heading into the final 10 minutes. Riding its momentum, Cheyney scored seven of the first nine points to open the fourth quarter, erasing the KU lead and putting itself ahead 57-56 with eight minutes to go.
Zerman made a clutch three-pointer with 3:45 left to swing the pendulum back towards the Maroon and Gold, however, giving them a lead they would not relinquish. Ferguson and Lapkiewicz each finished a lay-up in the last two minutes of action to put the finishing touches on a hard-fought victory on the road, the Golden Bears' third road win of the season.
The win for Kutztown improves its record to 15-11 overall and an even 10-10 in the PSAC while Cheyney falls to 5-21 and 3-17 in conference play.
KU returns home for its next contest and its final regular season game of the season at Keystone Arena, taking on the East Stroudsburg University Warriors on Wednesday, Feb. 21, for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
