BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball has continued to find ways to win, specifically close games of late. Saturday was no different as KU held on for a 52-51 road victory at Bloomsburg in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division game and in doing so, clinched a postseason spot in the PSAC Tournament.
It was the third game in-a-row that the Golden Bears (16-10 overall, 11-6 PSAC) won by a single possession and the 10th straight victory overall, tying a program record set back during the 1971-72 season. They currently sit one-half game behind first place Lock Haven (17-7, 12-6), which KU defeated both games during the regular season and which has a game in hand.
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth),
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) and
Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell) all finished with 11 points to pace the offense, with Pulliam and Hearn grabbing seven and six rebounds, respectively.
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) tallied 10 points and five rebounds.
Kitty Randa (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) recorded five points and two rebounds and
Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) rounded out the scoring with four points and four rebounds.
The Huskies (15-10, 9-9) led 17-15 after the opening quarter, but the Maroon and Gold responded strongly in the second stanza as they outscored BU 10-4 to go into halftime ahead 25-21. Kutztown continued to stay out in front after three quarters, leading 43-37. But Bloomsburg rallied in the fourth and scored the first six points to tie the score at 43-43, before KU went on its own 6-0 run to lead 49-43 with 6:54 to play.
Once again, then, the Huskies had an 8-2 run over the next 5:40 to bring the score to a 51-51 deadlock with 1:14 remaining. On the ensuing Golden Bears possession, Hearn went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line to put her team back on top by one with 0:53 left. KU kept the Huskies out of the score column the rest of the way as Quinn came up with a steal and then BU missed a shot to win with just 0:07 to go.
After two straight games and two weeks on the road, Kutztown will be back on its home court for its next game as it welcomes Shippensburg to Keystone Arena this Wednesday, Feb. 19, for a 5:30 p.m., game. The Raiders defeated KU in the last matchup back on Jan. 8.
