INDIANA, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball erased a double-digit deficit at halftime and used a strong third quarter to climb back and take a lead in the fourth quarter, but could not hold on as No. 17 Indiana (Pa.) finished off with a run of its own to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game 74-63 Tuesday afternoon at Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex in Indiana.
The Golden Bears (4-8 overall, 0-4 PSAC) trailed 41-30 at halftime, but outscored the Crimson Hawks (9-0, 5-0) 20-8 in a decisive third quarter that put them ahead 50-49 heading into the fourth quarter. But the home team fired back to defend their court and outscored KU 25-13 in the final frame, including 20-8 over the final 7:42 after the Maroon and Gold led 55-54.
Two games after netting a season-high in scoring, junior
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) matched a new career-high, leading the Kutztown offense with a game-high 22 points on 7-of-12 (58.3%) shooting from the floor, including 5-for-10 (50%) from long distance and a perfect 3-for-3 (100%) at the free-throw line.
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) also finished in double figures in scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively, with the former contributing four rebounds and the latter adding three rebounds and three steals.
KU shot 52.2% (24-of-46) from the floor and held IUP to 46.6% (27-of-58). Both teams connected for seven 3-pointers, with the Golden Bears taking 20 attempts compared to the Crimson Hawks at 14.
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) tallied nine points and
Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) totaled seven points and six rebounds.
Kutztown will return home for one final game of the 2024 calendar year as it will welcome California (Pa.) to Keystone Arena this Saturday, Dec. 21, for a game at 1 p.m.
