KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball finished off its regular season home slate in style and sent off its seniors with a victory in a back-and-forth thriller that went into overtime, with KU winning 73-67 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division game at Keystone Arena Saturday afternoon.
 
The Golden Bears (17-9 overall, 13-6 PSAC) recognized three senior members of the program prior to tip-off. Danae Ellzy (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) received a framed jersey and were able to take pictures with head coach Janet Malouf, associate head coach Justin Hallman and their families in the final home regular season game.
 
Madison Siggins (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) finished with a team-high 18 points and added four rebounds and two steals. Jadyn Brenneman (New Fairfield, Conn./Western Reserve Academy) recorded a season-best 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. Ellzy tallied 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Both Hurley and Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) scored six points.
 
The first half was a slugfest as the two teams combined for 24 fouls. Neither team could really get a rhythm going with the fouls and turnovers (16 combined). KU trailed 18-14 after the opening quarter, but began to turn it around in the second quarter and outscored the Rams 21-13 to take a 35-31 lead at halftime. They closed the final 1:03 with four straight points, all coming from Jadyn Brenneman (New Fairfield, Conn./Western Reserve Academy), to push a 31-31 tie into the four-point edge at intermission.
 
Just as they had to do in the last four games, the Maroon and Gold were forced to come from behind, down double digits in the second half, as they trailed 53-43 with 1:01 left in the third quarter. A Shepherd 3-pointer with 5:48 left to play put them up 59-48, but then KU made its run, and it started with the full court press and defense. They forced 25 Rams turnovers, 16 of which came in the second half and overtime. KU finished the final 5:48 of regulation with a 15-4 spurt and then outscored Shepherd 10-4 in overtime to walk off the court winners.
 
Both Smelas and Kitty Randa (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) had four points with Smelas adding seven boards, two assists, two steals and one block. Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell) contributed three points, three rebounds and three assists. Ariana Smuda (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) added two points, six rebounds, six blocks and three steals.
 
The Golden Bears are all but locked in for the two seed out of the East Division for the PSAC Tournament, which begins in a week-and-a-half. Lock Haven is set for the one seed. KU needs to either win one of its final two games next week, or have East Stroudsburg lose one of its two.
 
Kutztown closes out the regular season on the road with two games next week. KU will be at East Stroudsburg next Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m., and then finishes the season at Mansfield next Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m.

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