WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The 24th-ranked Kutztown University went up by double-digits at the end of the first quarter and continued that trend the rest of the way, never really threatened in winning the program's 22nd game of the year, 75-51, Wednesday night at West Chester in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division action.
The Golden Bears (22-5 overall, 14-3), who came in to the game freshly ranked No. 2 in the NCAA's first Atlantic Region rankings, have now won three games in-a-row with three regular season games left to play.
Three KU players scored in double figures and four others were within one basket of the double-digit mark. For the first time this season, sophomore point guard
Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) led the team in scoring, finishing with a career-high 16 points (4-for-6 from three), while adding six rebounds and five assists.
Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) had near identical numbers in compiling 15 points (5-for-9 from three), six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Alexis Smith (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) rounded out the Golden Bear trio with 10 points.
Kutztown trailed the Golden Rams (7-17, 5-13) 10-8 with 5:03 left in the opening quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Zerman and Derr gave KU the lead at 14-10, one which it wouldn't relinquish. The Maroon and Gold extended their lead to 21 in the second quarter, 25 in the third and to as many as 30 in the fourth quarter.
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) recorded nine points and four rebounds.
Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) contributed eight points, nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) netted eight points and added three rebounds and four assists and
Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) had seven points and three rebounds.
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury) also found herself in the score column with two points.
Kutztown is back home at Keystone Arena for senior day this Saturday, Feb. 19, with a 1 p.m., game against Mansfield in PSAC East action. Derr, Smith and
Presley Berryhill (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) will be recognized prior to tip-off.
