Box Score



Kutztown 83, Shippensburg 74 (HTML Box Score)

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Five players, including three freshmen, scored in double-figures to help push the sixth-seeded Kutztown University women's basketball team past third-seeded Shippensburg University 83-74 in the first round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs from Heiges Field House on Saturday. The victory gives head coach Janet Malouf her 300th career win at the helm of the KU program.
 
"This win is very special," Malouf said. "It's nice to get it with this group because we haven't had a great year and we struggled a little bit, so it is definitely a silver lining with this young team. Not only is Shippensburg such a good team, but our team played so well and our girls really stepped up."
 
Kutztown (10-17) came into the playoffs with the final spot, matched up against the third-seeded Shippensburg Raiders (17-10). With the first round victory, Kutztown will square off against second-seeded West Chester University on Tuesday, Mar. 4 in the quarterfinals.
 
Freshman Kara Funk (Dover, Pa./Dover) emitted the composure of a true veteran down the stretch, sinking 10 straight foul shots in the final 1:18 to prevent the Shippensburg comeback. She finished 13-for-14 from the line for 17 points, along with five rebounds and three assists, all of which were career-highs.
 
Fellow rookie Kelsey Watson (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) also had a huge impact off the bench, shooting 8-for-11 from the field for 16 points. She was second on the team with eight rebounds and dished out a team-high and career-best four assists.
 
Junior Alyssa Bonenberger (Walnutport, PA/Northampton Area) recorded her sixth double-double this season, scoring 14 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds. She also led the team with three steals.
 
Freshman Jess Harvey (Barnegat, N.J./Rumson Fair-Haven Regional) and sophomore Natalya Lee (Feasterville, Pa./Rancocas Valley Regional) rounded out the double-digit scorers for KU. Harvey scored all 10 of her points, including two three-pointers, during a momentum-shifting 21-7 run to close out the first half. Lee finished with 11 points and two rebounds.
 
"That run was really big, especially for her (Harvey) confidence," Malouf said. "That's another freshman on the floor for us. I can't say enough about the three freshmen that played the most minutes for us today. They all stepped up and it was very important for our team and the future of our team."
 
The 21-7 run to close out the half gave Kutztown a 44-32 lead heading into the locker room. Shippensburg began the second half hot from the floor, sinking two immediate three-pointers. However, every time the Raiders narrowed the deficit, Kutztown hit a big shot to regain the momentum.
 
"It took us 26 games for somebody to make a big shot so it's good we're better late than never," Malouf quipped. "It was really good because it wasn't always the same person hitting the big shot, which is even better for us down the road."
 
Kutztown shot exceptional from all over the floor. KU recorded its best three-point shooting game this season, going 4-for-6 from long range (66.7%). The Golden Bears also had their second best field-goal percentage (49.2%) and free-throw percentage (87.5%) performances on the year.

Shippensburg was without star forward Stephanie Knauer due to injury, leaving the Raiders vulnerable inside. Freshman Lauren Gold led the way with a game-high 21 points, five assists, and five steals. Sarah Strybuc nailed five three-pointers for 20 points to bring an end to a successful career. Freshman Morgan Griffith scored 17 points and hauled in a team-high 12 boards.
 
The Maroon and Gold held a slight advantage in the rebounding battle, 39-34. The contributions from the Kutztown reserves played a huge role in the outcome, recording 40 bench points compared to Shippensburg's three.
 
In last year's postseason run, Kutztown defeated West Chester in the first round before being eliminated by Bloomsburg in the quarterfinals.