KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball finished up a perfect homestand with its third win in as many games as it defeated West Chester 64-52 Wednesday night in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division game inside Keystone Arena.
 
The three wins-in-a-row ties the longest win streak of the regular season so far for the Golden Bears (13-8 overall, 9-5 PSAC), who won two of the three games by double digits, the last two.
 
Three Golden Bears finished in double figures in points, all three were non-starters, led by 13 from Danae Ellzy (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), who also added three rebounds and three assists. Both Madison Siggins (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Jadyn Brenneman (New Fairfield, Conn./Western Reserve Academy) recorded 11 points. Ariana Smuda (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) tallied seven points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Each of Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) netted six points, with Smelas contributing 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Bella Quinn (Ashland, Ky./Russell) and Taylor Gurysh (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) had five points and three rebounds.
 
Smuda opened the game with a layup and assist from Smelas and the two teams were back-and-forth for the first 10 points as Hurley drained a 3-pointer to put her team up 5-2 before WCU tied it 3:56 in. KU ended the quarter on a 16-8 spurt to lead 21-13 and held two separate leads of 10.
 
The Golden Rams rallied in the second quarter and outscored the Maroon and Gold 12-9, pulling to within as close as two points (27-25) with 2:58 remaining, but 3-of-4 free-throws from Siggins and Ellzy gave the home team a 30-25 advantage at the break.
 
West Chester then pulled to within just one point (31-30) 2:01 into the third quarter, but that would be as close as it would get the rest of the way as KU led 43-39 after three and then extended the advantage to double figures early in the fourth after a 3-pointer by Hurley and a layup from Smelas.
 
Kutztown hits the road for the first time in two weeks as it will travel to take on Lock Haven this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m., in a matchup of the top two teams in the East.

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