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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team is still playing basketball. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division's No. 1 seed won its quarterfinal round game vs. Lock Haven last Wednesday and advanced to the semifinals where it will host the West's No. 2 seed and nationally-ranked (No. 21) California University (PA) in game two of a Final Four doubleheader Saturday, March 9, at 3:30 p.m. at Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (18-11 overall) advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since the 2009-10 season, and will host the PSAC Final Four for the first time in program history this weekend. They recently won a share of the PSAC East title for the first time since 1996 following the regular season. The East's two seed, Bloomsburg, will take on the West's No. 1 seed IUP in the first semifinal.
 
In Kutztown's 81-64 PSAC quarterfinal round victory over the Bald Eagles, KU tied a program single-game record with 16 three-pointers.
 
Sophomore Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick), who recently earned First Team All-PSAC honors, collected 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting from deep in the first quarter as the Maroon and Gold opened a 15-point lead by outscoring Lock Haven 18-1 and holding LHU without a field goal over the final 6:07.
 
KU's first six buckets of the second quarter all came from beyond the arc. Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) accounted for half of those, while All-PSAC Second Teamer Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), Brianna Tarabocchia (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Northern Valley Regional (Saint Peter's)) and Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) each had one.
 
Expect a tightly-contested contest between Kutztown and Cal as each team's offense and defense rank in the top-seven in the PSAC in points scored and points allowed respectively. KU ranks seventh offensively scoring 68.2 points per game (ppg) and its defense is fourth, allowing 63.4 ppg. The Vulcans (24-4) are fourth in scoring offense (72.4 ppg) and second defensively (59.3 ppg).
 
Derr is Kutztown's main threat offensively. She ranks 11th in the PSAC in scoring at 17.1 ppg, 15th in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and second in three-pointers made (85). California's go-to player is PSAC West Athlete of the Year Seairra Barrett, who is third in the conference in scoring (21.4 ppg), first in rebounds (8.9 rpg), fifth in field-goal percentage (49.8%) and first in steals (2.9 spg).
 
The Golden Bears look to continue their postseason push and allow seniors Kalee Fuegel (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Taylor Thames (Colmar, Pa./North Penn) to remain wearing the Maroon and Gold. Fuegel ranks fifth in the PSAC overall and second in the East with 64 total steals.
 
Kutztown is searching for its first trip to the PSAC Championship. One more win to go.
 
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