EDINBORO, Pa. - The Kutztown women's basketball traveled to Edinboro for its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover matchup this season on Friday afternoon, falling to the Fighting Scots by a score of 73-48.
The Golden Bears (2-5 overall, 0-1 PSAC) were met with an aggressive Edinboro (4-1, 1-0) defense that controlled the pace of play for the entire afternoon.
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) led the visitors with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting, while
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) contributed 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Kutztown's defense was put to work against a stingy Fighting Scots' attack. The Golden Bears battled, leading the game in blocks (8-5) thanks to four from graduate student
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen), but Edinboro pulled a 44-27 lead at the half, and never let off the gas through the end.
The Kutztown offense tried to gain momentum in the first half, going 11-27 and 2-7 outside the 3-point arc. Edinboro came out of the break with a bang and led the Golden Bears at half 44-27.
In the end, Edinboro's offense couldn't be stopped, as four players scored double-digit points, led by Ashten Boggs' 12. They had control of the game partly due to their strong rebounding advantage (45-24) and points scored in the paint (42-22 advantage).
The Maroon and Gold converted 80 percent of their free throws (12-for-15) compared to 77 percent from the Fighting Scots, taking advantage of their 13 fouls on the night.
The Golden Bears will be back in action at Keystone Arena on Tuesday, November 26th, facing Penn State Lehigh Valley at 5:30 p.m.
