WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball scored the game's first basket and led for as many as 2:00 in the first quarter, but West Chester held firm on its home floor and led for the other 38:00 in taking down KU 68-58 Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game at Hollinger Field House.
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The Golden Bears (6-10 overall, 2-6 PSAC), who just played their third consecutive road game and haven't been home since Dec. 21, lost for the second time in-a-row. They took an early 3-0 lead, 1:10 into the game after
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) drilled a 3-pointer, but the Golden Rams (7-9, 5-5) quickly answered with a 7-0 run before KU countered with a 5-0 run of its own on a layup by
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and another 3-pointer from Hurley for an 8-7 advantage with 6:13 left in the opening quarter, but that would be the last time the Maroon and Gold would be out in front the rest of the way.
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WCU ended the first quarter on an 11-3 run and scored the first seven points of the second quarter to go ahead by double digits (26-11), and led 39-27 at halftime. Kutztown pulled to within just three points, twice in the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer by Hurley and a jumper by
Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell), the latter taking KU to just a 59-56 deficit with 4:20 to play. From that point on, the Golden Rams did not record a field goal, but did just enough, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line and held the Golden Bears to 1-for-6 shooting from the floor with two turnovers to finish off the game.
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Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) led the KU offense with 13 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. Hurley recorded 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and one steal. Quinn tallied 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Jess Aponik (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) netted six points and each of Smelas,
Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) contributed five points with Smelas grabbing six rebounds.
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury) rounded out the scoring with three points.
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Kutztown has a busy week next week with three games in six days, all at home, beginning with a makeup game against Mansfield on Monday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m., inside Keystone Arena. KU then hosts Bloomsburg at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday and Millersville at 1 p.m., on Saturday.
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