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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team, fresh off winning a share of its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East title since 1996, will begin its quest for an overall PSAC championship when it hosts Lock Haven University in the quarterfinal round tomorrow, Wednesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (17-11 overall) are the top seed in the East and will welcome back the fourth seeded Bald Eagles (15-13) to town four days after previously hosting them. Last Saturday, March 2, KU led for all but 0:37 to defeat Lock Haven on senior day in its regular season finale to send its two seniors, Kalee Fuegel (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) out on top. Kutztown won a program-record 14th conference game, and have now won 11 straight games at Keystone Arena, a setting that, if they keep winning, will not have to leave until a potential NCAA Tournament run.
 
A season-high five Golden Bears scored in double figures in the win, led by sophomore Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) with 17 points. She connected on 4-of-7 from long range and added three rebounds and one steal. Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) each had 15 points. Zerman also grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists, while Derr contributed four rebounds and four assists. Brianna Tarabocchia (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Northern Valley Regional (Saint Peter's)) recorded 11 points and six rebounds, and Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) rounded out the KU quintet in double-figures with 11 points and four rebounds.
 
Earlier this week, Derr earned her second PSAC East Athlete of the Week recognition this season. She averaged 19.5 points per game (ppg) in a 2-0 week last week. Derr is averaging 17.0 ppg, 12th-best in the PSAC, and has made 80 three-pointers this season, second in the PSAC. Karen Lapkiewicz's (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) average of 11.0 ppg is a career-high by 3.5 ppg for the junior, and ranks second on the team.
 
Offensively, KU ranks second in the PSAC with 224 made three-pointers, the most in a season. Defensively, it is fourth in scoring defense, allowing just 63.4 ppg. Fuegel is fifth in the PSAC with 64 steals, second in the PSAC East. Tarabocchia ranks just outside the top-20 in blocks with 18.
 
Kutztown has won the last five games against Lock Haven, which won its First Round game against East Stroudsburg, 72-65, yesterday, Monday, March 4. It was the first playoff win for the program since the 1991 season.
 
The Bald Eagles are in the top-10 in both scoring offense (10th, 67.4 ppg) and defense (eighth, 66.8 ppg). Their opponents shoot a mere 28.3-percent from three-point land, third in the conference. KU is fifth with a 32.6-percentage from long range. Lock Haven leads the PSAC in rebounding (43.7 rpg), while Kutztown is third, allowing just 34.3 rpg.
 
The winner advances to the final four, which will be played at the East's highest seed. A win for Kutztown would clinch the semifinals and final at Keystone Arena and give KU its first berth in the final four since the 2009-10 season.
 
Live stats, video, game notes and PSAC Championship Central are available via the links above, which can also be accessed on www.kubears.com.