KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team hit its home court for the first time this season, and did so in style, scoring a season high in points, taking down Penn State Lehigh Valley 83-42 Saturday evening in a non-conference game at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (3-4 overall) featured four different players in double-figures, led by Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick), who finished with 18 points. Brianna Tarabocchia (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) recorded 13, Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) tallied a season-high 14 points and Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) scored 10 to lead a group of 10 players that recorded at least one point.
 
KU's 83 points is the most in a game since it scored 88 against Lock Haven last season on March 2.
 
Kutztown led from start to finish in this one as it led 21-10 after the first quarter and then 50-16 at halftime, taking over the game, outscoring the Nittany Lions 29-6 in the second stanza.
 
The Maroon and Gold's defense was a force Saturday, coming away with a season-high 20 steals, the most by a Kutztown team since Jan. 10, 2018, when KU had 23 takeaways.
 
Kaylan Jackson (Germantown, Md./Clarksburg) netted eight points, while both Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) notched seven. Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) had three points, Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) tallied two and Presley Berryhill (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) rounded out the KU lineup with one point.
 
Kutztown has its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) home-opener in its next game, Saturday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m., against Gannon at Keystone Arena.