KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's basketball opened the new calendar year with its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division game Friday night, but KU was unable to start 2020 1-0 as it dropped its PSAC East-opener 74-69 to East Stroudsburg inside Keystone Arena.
 
The Golden Bears (6-6 overall, 3-3 PSAC) featured four different players score in double-figures, led by 18 points from junior Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick). Derr was 5-of-13 from the floor but 3-for-5 from three-point land and finished one rebound (nine) shy of her first double-double of the season. Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) tallied a season-high 16 points and also needed just one rebound for a double-double, grabbing nine boards. Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, and Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) rounded out the KU quartet with 11 points and five rebounds.
 
The Maroon and Gold led for all but 0:34 in the first quarter, and then went ahead by six, 24-18, their biggest lead of the game, with 7:03 left to go in the second quarter. But the Warriors (8-4, 4-2) fought back to tie the game 28-28 with 4:25 left, and that's how the two teams remained, deadlocked, 33-33 heading into the locker rooms at halftime.
 
Remolde, who was hampered most of the first half by foul trouble, scored the opening basket of the third quarter to put Kutztown out in front 35-33, but it would not experience a lead again until the 6:03 mark of the fourth quarter. Leading 58-57 with 3:38 remaining, ESU scored to take a 59-58 advantage and held on from there. KU found itself within one possession for a majority of the final three-plus minutes, but could not find the go-ahead basket.
 
Brianna Tarabocchia (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) finished with six points and Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) had five points, four rebounds and four assists to cap the KU scoring. Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) contributed a season-high three blocks.
 
Kutztown will remain home and wrap up a season-long seven-game home stretch on Monday, Jan. 6, at 5:30 p.m. against Lock Haven.