WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The third-seeded Kutztown women's basketball team scored just three points in the opening quarter and found itself behind 19-3 after one, and second-seeded West Chester kept its undefeated mark at home rolling in a 69-42 victory in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Quarterfinal Round game Wednesday evening at Hollinger Field House.
The Golden Bears finish their season at 15-15 overall. They had a tough time most of the night finding baskets and had single-digit first and third quarters, shooting 28.3% (15-for-53) from the floor, while the Golden Rams (24-5) shot 47.2% (25-of-53) overall and finished their home slate 17-0. Hollinger Field House has been a struggle for the Maroon and Gold this season as they scored just 39 points in their other meeting there back on Feb. 14.
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) finished with a team-high 11 points in 14 minutes, her highest scoring total since she netted 13 points on Jan. 31. Pulliam missed almost a month of action due to injury and this was only her second game back.
West Chester scored the game's first 15 points and led 15-0 before Pulliam connected from three with just 1:12 left in the first quarter. The Golden Rams scored the first five points of the second to take their lead to 21 (24-3). They led by as many as 26 points (34-8) with 2:49 to go in the second quarter, but
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe),
Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) and
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) combined for a 6-0 run as their team trailed 34-14 at the break.
It seemed like just when Kutztown had a run going, West Chester answered. Even in holding the Golden Rams to their lowest point total of the game in 10 third quarter points, the Golden Bears could only score eight and were behind 44-22 heading into the fourth. The deficit went into the 30s in the fourth quarter, but KU fought until the end, scoring the game's final seven points in the last 1:41, including
Alicia Underkoffler (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) going 3-for-4 at the free-throw line.
Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) finished with six points, five rebounds and two steals.
Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and
Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) both tallied five points. Pierson recorded four points, five rebounds and two blocks, finishing her career with 141 denials, fifth-most in program history.
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury), Smelas and Underkoffler all contributed three points and Hurley added two for KU.
Kutztown will graduate Pierson,
Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), Underkoffler and Zerman, but will welcome back four players that started multiple games in
Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy),
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen), Pulliam and
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe), along with key reserves in Hurley, Arcuri and Gurysh.
