CALIFORNIA, Pa. – Kutztown will head home from its weekend trip out on the western part of the state with some positive momentum, responding after a setback the day before to claim a tough, 70-66 road win at California Saturday afternoon in the final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game of the regular season.
 
The Golden Bears (6-5 overall, 3-2 PSAC), who held a seven-point lead at 63-56 with 5:34 to play, had to come up with some late-game heroics as the Vulcans (8-9, 4-2) scored 10 of the next 12 points in a span of 4:13 to take a 66-65 lead with 1:21 remaining. But that would be the last point the KU defense would allow the rest of the way as Ariana Smuda (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) scored on a jumper on the ensuing possession to give her team the lead back for good and Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell) calmly connected on 3-of-4 from the free-throw line to seal the victory. Quinn's free-throws came following an important steal from the sophomore point guard that prevented Cal from taking the lead or tying the game with just 0:23 left.
 
A day after going scoreless for just the second time this season, senior Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) led the Maroon and Gold offense with 18 points, going 4-for-7 from long range, and added four rebounds. Smuda also finished in double digits in scoring with 10 points, going 5-for-5 from the floor, and grabbed five boards, while blocking two shots. Smelas stuffed the stat sheet and ended the day one point shy of a double-double, and also flirted with a triple-double, finishing with nine points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. Both Quinn and Danae Ellzy (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) also netted nine points and Madison Siggins (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) tallied eight points.
 
A 3-pointer by Hurley opened the game's scoring 1:54 in, and the Golden Bears led for all but the final 1:12, as the Vulcans took a 16-14 advantage after the opening frame. Cal scored eight of the first 11 points in the second quarter to take its biggest lead of the game at seven (24-17) with 7:19 left in the second quarter, but Kutztown went on an 18-6 run to go into the intermission ahead 35-30.
 
Once again the Vulcans answered with six straight points out of the locker room to go back on top 36-35, but four consecutive points from Hurley gave her team the advantage again, one that they held until the 1:21 mark in the final stanza.
 
Jadyn Brenneman (New Fairfield, Conn./Western Reserve Academy) contributed four points and Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) rounded out the scoring with three points for KU.
 
Kutztown concludes the non-conference portion of its 2025-26 regular season on Tuesday, Jan. 6, when it welcomes St. Thomas Aquinas to Keystone Arena for a 5:30 p.m., tip.

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