KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The injury bug has hit the Kutztown women's basketball team and it showed Wednesday night as KU fell victim to West Chester and lost 73-54 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division matchup between two of the top three teams in the division.
The Golden Bears (7-9 overall, 5-5 PSAC) lost for the second time in their three-game home stand. The Golden Rams (11-5, 6-4), who came into the season nationally-ranked, won for the third time in-a-row after losing four of their previous five games.
Kutztown had a tough time offensively Wednesday, and rightfully so, as it was missing two key starters in
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) and
Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) due to injury.
KU shot just 31.3% (5-for-16) in the opening quarter and 30.8% (4-for-13) in the second quarter as it trailed 24-15 after the first and then 46-26 at halftime. The largest deficit of the first half was 21 points (42-21).
After trailing 57-39 after three, the Maroon and Gold outscored West Chester 15-6 in the fourth quarter, playing hard until the end.
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) both finished with team-highs in scoring with 14 points. It was a career-best for Hurley, who also had two rebounds. Pulliam added four rebounds and two assists.
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) tallied eight points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.
Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) netted a season-high nine points and had two rebounds and two steals.
Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) contributed five points and
Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) and
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury) rounded out the scoring with two points each.
After playing three consecutive games in the friendly confines of Keystone Arena, Kutztown hits the road for three in-a-row, beginning this Saturday, Jan. 20, for a 1 p.m., game at Bloomsburg.
