LOCK HAVEN, Pa. –
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) poured in a season-high 25 points in 20 minutes off the bench, tying a KU freshman-record with seven three-pointers, to fuel the Kutztown University women's basketball team over the Lock Haven University Bald Eagles, 84-64, in its final regular season game on the road on Saturday afternoon.
As a team, KU shot 53.8 percent from deep, making 14-of-26 attempts, one shy of the school-record set earlier this season on Nov. 25 against Penn State Lehigh Valley. Smith tied teammate
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick)'s freshman and school-record of seven three-pointers made in a single game which came on Jan. 17 at home versus Cheyney.
With Millersville pulling out a win on the road at East Stroudsburg, the Maroon and Gold will be the four-seed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Playoffs, which will begin on Monday, Feb. 26. Kutztown will host No. 5 Bloomsburg on Monday night at 5:30 p.m., welcoming the Huskies to Keystone Arena where KU is sporting a 12-3 record this year.
The Golden Bears had five players score in double-figures led by Smith with 25, four of whom came off the bench.
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) scored 13 points as KU's lone starter in double-digits and is now just five points shy of breaking the Kutztown freshman record for points in a season of 381 set by Patty Gruber in 1986. From the reserve unit,
Alex Leader (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin),
Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) and
Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) each scored 10, 10 and 13 points, respectively, shooting a combined 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. In total, eight Golden Bears scored in the game and 11 played in 10 minutes or more for head coach
Janet Malouf.
Smith ripped down a team-high seven rebounds to go along with her 25 points and also recorded one steal and one assist.
Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), who was held scoreless, made her presence felt in other ways, doing the 'dirty work' by grabbing six boards and dishing out a team-high five dimes.
Keifonna Ferguson (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) chipped in five points and four rebounds and is now just one rebound shy of hitting the 500 career rebounds mark headed into Monday's game with Bloomsburg.
A successful and-one from Derr put KU ahead 11-9 with 4:37 left in the first quarter, seemingly lighting a fire under the rest of her teammates. Kutztown went on a 12-2 run to end close of the opening stanza and the rout was officially on. The Golden Bears got two threes from Leader and one a piece from Wright and Smith in the second quarter, outscoring Lock Haven 23-10 in the final ten minutes before halftime.
Up 46-21 at the break, the Maroon and Gold cruised their way to the 20-point win despite being outscored by the Bald Eagles 25-16 in the final quarter. Smith made four of her triples in the second half, providing instant offense in returning to her early-season form. Leader's 10 points were a career-high for the sophomore guard from Hummelstown, all of which came in the second quarter.
KU finishes the regular season with a 17-11 record overall and 12-10 mark in the PSAC, its first winning record in conference play since 2012-13 and most overall wins since 2009-10.
Hosting their third home first-round PSAC playoff game in the last four seasons, KU welcomes Bloomsburg to Keystone Arena on Monday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in search of its first playoff victory since 2015.
