EDINBORO, Pa. – The 2024-25 Kutztown women's basketball team is looking to keep writing its own history. After winning the program's first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title last weekend, KU is now focused on winning the program's first ever NCAA Tournament game as it opens play in the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament at Edinboro University, beginning Friday.
The sixth-seeded Golden Bears (22-11 overall) meet third-seeded RV/#23 Seton Hill (23-6) in a First Round game at 12 p.m., Friday, from McComb Fieldhouse, the site of the Maroon and Gold's PSAC championship run last weekend. It is the third appearance for Kutztown in NCAAs and first since the 2021-22 season.
Tickets will be $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and must be purchased through the Edinboro Hudl Ticket Page, linked above. One ticket is good for all games played that day. Live stats and video, along with the championship central home page are also linked at the top of the story.
The Golden Bears and Griffins met during the regular season this year with SHU winning 89-72 back on Dec. 7. Kutztown, however, has been one of the hottest teams in the nation since the turn of the calendar year, winning 16 of its last 17 games, including a program-record 12 wins in-a-row.
PSAC East Athlete of the Year and D2 CCA First Team All-Atlantic Region performer,
Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth), leads the way for Kutztown, averaging 16.8 points per game, third-best in the PSAC. All-PSAC Second Teamer,
Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe), is a lights-out shooter from distance and ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.7 ppg and is shooting 36.2% from 3-point range, which is second in the conference. PSAC Tournament MVP,
Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen), had herself a weekend last weekend, averaging 30.5 ppg and nine rebounds per game. Freshman point guard
Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell) has been a strong facilitator for the offense all season, leading the team with 93 assists.
The winner of KU-SHU will play the winner of second-seeded Gannon (25-6) and seventh-seeded Fayetteville State (21-7) in the Second Round Saturday at 5 p.m. The other First Round matchups include top seed and host Edinboro (24-6) taking on eighth seed Virginia State (23-6). Fourth seed IUP (21-7) will take on MEC Champion and fifth seed Fairmont State (27-4) in the fourth and final game of the day.
Second Round games are scheduled for 5 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, March 15. The Atlantic Regional final will be played at 7 p.m. on Monday.
The winner of the regional will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight to be held at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA on March 24-28.
