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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
