LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – In a matchup of two of the top three teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division, 22nd ranked and first place Lock Haven was forced to rally in the second half to claim a 56-46 victory on its home court over current third place Kutztown on Wednesday evening at Thomas Fieldhouse.
The defeat snaps a season-long five-game win streak for the Golden Bears (12-10 overall, 10-6 PSAC), who also dropped their second game this season to the Bald Eagles (20-2, 15-1), who bounced back from their first loss in conference play in 15 games, falling to second place West Chester this past Saturday.
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) had a monster game on both ends of the floor for Kutztown. The Sophomore finished with career-highs in points (19) and rebounds (19) for her first career double-double, flirting with 20-20 territory. She went 8-for-12 from the floor overall and 2-2 from the three-point line. The points and rebounds were both game-highs as well.
Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) also recorded double figures in points with 12, and added six rebounds and two steals. The senior connected from long range for the game's opening basket 0:18 in, but Lock Haven scored nine of the next 11 points to go on top 9-5. KU finished the final 7:00 of the first quarter on a 14-4 run to lead 19-13.
The Maroon and Gold were ahead 31-26 at halftime, but were blitzed by the Bald Eagles coming out of the locker room, getting outscored 17-6 in the third quarter, as they found themselves behind 43-37 heading into the fourth.
A Smelas layup 0:28 into the final frame brought her team to within just four at 43-39, but that was the closest KU would get the rest of the way.
Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) and
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) both ended with four points, while
Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) added three.
Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) each added two points to round out the scoring.
Kutztown remains on the road for its next game this Saturday, Feb. 10, when it takes on Shippensburg at 1 p.m.
