KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Saturday afternoon will be a special day for two Kutztown University women's basketball players and their families. A culmination of four-plus year careers as collegiate student-athletes will be honored for Kalee Fuegel (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Keystone Arena for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup with Lock Haven.
 
Fuegel and Thames have been two key cogs in the Golden Bears program throughout their careers when healthy.
 
But for one of the pair, it has been harder than anticipated as health has not cooperated for her.
 
Fuegel, a redshirt-senior, has fought through adversity for nearly half of her playing career, but never backed down or gave up, and has become one of the best defensive players in the conference this season.
 
The Philadelphia native arrived on campus for her first season in Maroon and Gold as a freshman in 2014-15. She appeared in 23 games, starting three, averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game, while shooting 81-percent from the free-throw line and 11 steals.
 
But the next two seasons put a wrench into her vision of making an immediate impact for the Kutztown program.
 
During the first week of the 2015-16 regular season, in the very first game, Fuegel suffered a season-ending ACL injury, earning a medical redshirt. She recorded two points, two assists and two steals in her lone game that year. The following season, Fuegel once again had her season cut short, having been dealt with another ACL injury, after starting the first six games.
 
Some may have given up and just faced a reality of bad luck getting to them. But not Fuegel. She persevered and showed a Philly toughness to continue to work towards helping out her team and university.
 
"It is an honor to be a collegiate athlete," said Fuegel. "And I didn't want that to be taken away from me. I wanted to prove that I could have a healthy season and be successful at basketball. I think that's what truly drove me. I wanted to have at least one full year of basketball."
 
Although not fully healed until January of 2018, Fuegel was able to play in 28-of-30 games for Kutztown last season, making seven starts. She was third on the team in steals (41) and fourth in assists (38). This season, her fifth in Maroon and Gold, Fuegel has started in 26-of-27 games thus far and has career-highs in points (112), rebounds (95), assists (70), blocks (5) and steals (62). She has been a pest to opposing defenses as she ranks in the top-five overall in the PSAC in steals, second in the East Division, and is also in the top-25 in assists.
 
"I am so happy for the success Kalee has achieved the past two years," said head coach Janet Malouf. "She is our leader, the consummate team player and one of the hardest workers I have ever coached.  After Kalee's first ACL injury she worked incredibly hard to come back and have an impact on the team.  She was averaging 8.2 PPG and led the team in assists as well as assist-to-turnover ratio, before she went down with her second ACL while we were in Puerto Rico. That was devastating to see, but I am so proud of her wanting to come back and going through another year of rehabilitation to play.
 
"This current season has been the most fun in watching Kalee enjoying playing the game with her teammates. She brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm every day and is fun to be around. That is something that I am going to miss."
 
It has been a type of storybook tale for Fuegel individually over the last two years.
 
"It's been awesome," Fuegel said on her last two campaigns. "I haven't scored as much as I would've liked, but the good part is I haven't had to. The team last year and this time this year have so many talented scorers and overall players. I have my own role and I work hard at it. This team and program has been so supportive of me and my coaches have been so helpful in getting back."
 
Fuegel, along with Thames, have been catalysts for the Golden Bears, who enter Senior Day with a 16-11 overall record and 13-6 in the PSAC. A victory in the regular season finale would give KU the most PSAC wins in program history.
 
The duo may not get the headlines for top-scorer, but they do what is necessary to help the team win. And Kutztown has done some winning this season, recording 14 PSAC regular season wins, the most in program history. Kutztown has clinched at least a top-two seed in the upcoming PSAC Tournament, which guarantees a First Round bye and a home game in the quarterfinal round.
 
"We've both accepted our roles," said Fuegel. "Taylor knows she is the point guard. She is a great point guard. She has to facilitate the offense and move the ball around. I take my role as I'm scrappy and try to do the little things to help us win. We both love this team and want to do whatever it takes for us to win."
 
Looking ahead to senior day and the final regular season game at Keystone Arena, the Golden Bears can clinch the top seed in the PSAC East and home-court advantage throughout the PSAC Tournament with a win over Lock Haven.
 
"It was absolutely awesome," said Fuegel on her time at Kutztown. "I've met so many amazing people in my five years here that have helped me in various aspects of life. Between my coaching staff, teammates, the trainers, the professors. It's just been an incredible experience."
 
Catch Kalee and Taylor and the rest of the Golden Bears in action tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m.