PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Seniors Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) stepped up when their team needed them to, combining for almost half of their team's total points and rebounds, leading the Kutztown University women's basketball team to a 60-55 road victory at Chestnut Hill Wednesday night in a non-conference game.
 
The Golden Bears (8-3 overall) concluded their out of conference portion of their schedule with a dramatic win away from home. KU will play two more games this calendar year, both on the road in PSAC play, next weekend.
 
Smith tallied a season-high 17 points, 12 of which came in the third quarter when the Maroon and Gold outscored the Griffins 23-11 to erase a four-point, halftime deficit. Smith shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and added seven rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes, all season-highs. Derr was also on top of her game, recording 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for her second double-double in as many games. Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) also finished in double-figures, netting a season-high 11 points and adding four rebounds to her total.
 
Kutztown led 14-11 after the opening quarter, but Chestnut Hill (6-3) doubled KU's output in the second quarter, 14-7, to go ahead 25-21 at intermission. The Golden Bears caught fire in the third quarter, shooting 64.3% (9-for-14) and 100% (2-of-2) from three. The Griffins, however, went on their run in the fourth, outscoring KU 15-7 to force overtime.
 
In the extra period, Derr scored four points, Whalen netted three and Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) added two as KU also stepped up its defense in allowing just four points out of the Griffins.
 
Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) stuffed the stat sheet finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Hearn also had eight points. Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) contributed five points, three rebounds and four blocks.
 
Kutztown will head west for two games next weekend. KU will take on Slippery Rock on Saturday, Dec. 18, and follow that up with a matchup with Edinboro on Sunday. Both games are scheduled for 1 p.m. After a road contest at California (Pa.) the day after New Year's, Kutztown's next home game is set for Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 5:30 p.m., against West Chester.