EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown women's basketball team ended its second, season-long, three-game road trip in a positive way, using a strong second quarter to take control of the game and three double-digit scorers to defeat East Stroudsburg Monday night, 52-32, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division game at Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Golden Bears (10-9 overall, 8-5 PSAC) concluded the road trip 3-0, also beating Bloomsburg, 71-42, on Jan. 20, and Millersville, 64-60, last Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) led all scorers in the game with a season-best 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor overall and a 4-for-6 night from three-point land. She also dished out five assists.
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) finished with 16 points and three rebounds.
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) completed the trio in double figures with 13 points and added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
A Zerman shot from distance put KU on the scoreboard and in front for the first time, 3-2, 0:58 into the game, but ESU scored seven straight points to go on top 9-3, its largest lead of the game. Zerman and Pulliam then connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the score, and then Pulliam and Hurley combined for five points in the final 3:02 to give their team a 14-9 lead after the opening quarter.
From there, the Maroon and Gold continued to pour it on offensively and also held firm on the defensive end of the floor, outscoring the Warriors 11-2 in the second stanza to go into the locker room at halftime ahead 25-11.
The advantage climbed to as many as 20 (38-18) after a Hurley 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining in the third. The 20-point edge remained for another possession as Hurley connected on a layup and Kutztown saw itself leading 40-20 with 2:38 to go. East Stroudsburg never got closer than 12 (43-31) the rest of the way.
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) scored two points, but she was dominant on the glass, bringing in a career-high 15 rebounds.
Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) contributed three points to round out the scoring for KU.
After a three-game road trip, Kutztown finally returns home where it will take on Shepherd this Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 5:30 pm. KU will then host Mansfield on Saturday at 1 p.m.
