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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball team is hoping 2020 will bring some of the same success that 2019 brought. KU opens the new calendar year with a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division rivalry matchup against East Stroudsburg on Friday, Jan. 3, at 5:30 p.m. at Keystone Arena.

KU and ESU will be teaming up in support of Warrior sophomore Ryan Smith and his fight against acute myeloid leukemia. Smith played his freshman season with the Warriors and was named PSAC East Freshman of the Year before being diagnosed in August. In lieu of admission fans can make donations to help support Smith's fight. Checks can be made out to ESU, in the subject line write Ryan Smith or Ryan Smith fundraiser. All funds can be sent to ESU Athletics c/o Katrin Wolfe or Jeff Wilson. They will deposit the funds and will send a receipt of deposit for record keeping.
 
In 2019, the Golden Bears won a share of the PSAC East title and played in their first ever conference championship game. They finished their historic 2018-19 season at 19-12 overall and 14-6 in the PSAC, winning a share of the PSAC East title, the program's first since 1996. They hosted the PSAC final four for the first time in program history and advanced to its first ever PSAC Championship game. 2020 has the potential for similar accomplishments as KU was picked to finish first in the PSAC Preseason poll back in October.
 
Kutztown is 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the PSAC and currently sits in a tie for second place with the Warriors (7-4, 3-2) in the East Division, one game behind Lock Haven (7-3, 4-1). KU fell in its last game, 69-62 against Edinboro on Dec. 21, but has won six of its last eight contests overall.
 
Junior Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) leads the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game and tops the PSAC with 35 made three-pointers. Freshman Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) has hit the ground running in her first collegiate action. She is second on KU with 11.5 ppg and leads the conference with 29 blocks, earning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week in three consecutive weeks from Nov. 25 through Dec. 9, while also being tabbed East Athlete of the Week on Dec. 16.
 
Senior Brianna Tarabocchia (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) is averaging 8.5 ppg and 5.0 rebounds per game, classmate Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) is recording 7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.5 assists per game, while freshman Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) is totaling 7.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg to round out a trio of Maroon and Gold players that have played in all 11 games this season, along with Derr, Remolde and senior Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham). Wright has averaged 6.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg.
 
Junior Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) missed two games due to injury, but has started in all nine games she has played thus far. She is averaging 6.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 3.7 apg. Her 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks eighth-best in the PSAC.
 
The Kutztown defense as a whole has been a force on the court this season. KU ranks third in the PSAC, allowing just 61.1 ppg and a 37.4 field goal percentage through 11 games.
 
East Stroudsburg's defense is just as stingy, allowing 60.3 ppg, second-best in the conference. ESU has won its last two games and three-of-four overall, the lone loss coming at the hands of No. 21 Adelphi in overtime, 82-77. Tiffany Lapotsky leads the team in scoring at 19.9 ppg, seventh in the PSAC. Jordan Hertz leads the league in assists with 6.4 apg, and Kaitlyn Swint is fifth with 16 blocks.
 
Live stats and video is available via the links above, or by visiting www.kubears.com.