ERIE, Pa. – Senior Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and junior Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) teamed up to power the Kutztown University women's basketball team offensively. The duo combined for 36 points and helped push KU past Mercyhurst University 59-45 Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover game in Erie.
 
The Golden Bears (9-6 overall, 6-3 PSAC) have now won three straight games and are now tied at the top of the East Division standings after Saturday's games around the league.
 
Lapkiewicz scored a season-high 17 points and Derr led the way with 19 points for KU, as the reigning All-PSAC East players combined for 61-percent of the Maroon and Gold scoring.
 
Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) did a little bit of everything as the freshman stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals as the PSAC's leader in blocks continues her defensive prowess at swatting opposing shots.
 
Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) tallied six points and two steals, Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) recorded five points, four rebounds and two assists, and Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) contributed four points and five rebounds to round out the scoring for Kutztown.
 
Kutztown, which entered the game fourth in the PSAC defensively, allowing just 62.8 points per game, gave up 45 to the Lakers (4-11, 4-5), the third-lowest total for KU this season. Mercyhurst shot just 34.5-percent (19-of-55) from the floor and 35.7-percent (5-for-14) from three. Kutztown held Mercyhurst to 16 first-half points, tied for a season-low for the KU defense. The Lakers were held to single-digits in each of the first two quarters, scoring just nine in the first and seven in the second, as Kutztown went into the locker room leading 25-16.
 
Kutztown, meanwhile, made almost twice as many three-pointers (nine) and also made 16-of-22 free-throws, compared to the Lakers' total of 2-for-5.
 
Derr, who led the PSAC in made three-pointers with 45 going into the game, connected on 5-of-8 (62.5-percent) to push her season-total to 50.
 
Mercyhurst chipped away at its deficit and trailed by just four, 37-33, with 2:38 left in the third quarter, but Whalen hit a three to conclude the scoring in that frame, and then Kutztown outscored Mercyhurst 19-12 in the final period to earn the victory.
 
Kutztown will host Mansfield in PSAC East action on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m. from Keystone Arena.