LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Entering Saturday's contest, the Kutztown University women's basketball team had won the last seven meetings with Lock Haven University. Make that eight now after KU heated up following a slow start and defeated LHU 70-61 Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division game at Thomas Fieldhouse.
 
The Golden Bears (14-8 overall, 11-5 PSAC) have now won three straight games overall and eight-in-a-row against the Bald Eagles (11-11, 8-9) dating back to the 2016-17 season. They remain in a tie for second place in the division with Shepherd (17-5, 11-5).
 
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) paced the lineup with a team-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor. She has now scored a combined 44 points in the two wins against Lock Haven this season. Derr also grabbed 10 rebounds, earning her first double-double this season. Karen Lapkiewicz (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) also finished in double-figures in scoring with 14 points.
 
Gabbi Wright (Elkins Park, Pa./Cheltenham) and Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) just missed double-digits in points, finishing with nine each. The duo also combined for five of KU's seven blocks, with Wright leading the way with three and Remolde two. Remolde also added two steals.
 
Kutztown bounced back from a sluggish first quarter to make its mark on the game in the following quarter.
 
Trailing the entire opening 10-minute period and down 21-13 at the end, KU scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take its first lead of the game at 22-21. The Kutztown defense held Lock Haven scoreless for the first 3:13 until a 3-pointer by Rileigh Devine put the Bald Eagles back out in front. But Wright's layup tied the score at 24-24, and after two more ties in a back-and-forth final 6:28, the Maroon and Gold went into the locker room leading 32-30 at halftime.
 
The Golden Bears then took complete control in the fourth quarter. Leading 49-47 with 7:27 to go, KU went on a 10-2 run over the next 4:10 to reach a double-digit advantage, the first for either team on the day.
 
Kutztown had to hold on however, as Lock Haven cut its deficit to six (59-53) with 1:32 remaining. KU iced the game at the free-throw line going 11-of-12 the final 0:55 of play, including 6-for-6 by Lapkiewicz.
 
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) both tallied seven points, and Zoe Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) contributed four points and six assists.
 
Kutztown will remain on the road for its next game when it takes on East Stroudsburg University on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse.