KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half on Monday night to take a fourth-quarter lead, but the Raiders could not overcome a final surge by host Kutztown, dropping a 73-69 decision to the Golden Bears in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup from Keystone Arena.
 
Shippensburg (5-19, 4-14 PSAC) embarked upon a 15-0 run with four minutes remaining in the third quarter to flip a 10-point deficit into a five-point lead, 55-50, with 8:45 remaining in regulation. The Raiders made all five of their field-goal attempts and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line during the run.
 
Kutztown (14-10, 9-9), however, countered with a 12-0 run down the stretch, with Kutztown freshman Zoe Zerman scoring eight points during that span, to transform a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead entering the final minute.
 
The Raiders got within four points at the 31-second mark, capitalizing on some missed KU free throws with a couple of buckets, but could get no closer. SU shot 24-of-28 (85.7 percent) at the free-throw line, just one make shy of a season high, while KU shot just 13-of-25 (52 percent) at the free-throw line.

Freshman Ariel Jones scored 26 points for the Raiders, marking her 13th game this season with 20 or more points. Jones was 11-of-11 at the free-throw line, the most efficient performance by a Raider this season, and also finished with five rebounds and four steals. She now has 511 points through 24 games this season.
 
Senior Victoria Blackburn totaled 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. Freshman Kasey Engle scored nine points to go along with three rebounds and three assists.
 
Freshman Kryshell Gordy had eight points, a game-high 12 rebounds and tied a career high with four steals. Gordy posted double-digit rebounds for the sixth time this season.
 
The difference in Monday's game was Zerman, a Lebanon County native like Jones. Zerman, who scored a career-high 15 points in the previous meeting with the Raiders earlier this season, went above and beyond that Monday night with 36 points – the most by a KU freshman in school history.
 
Zerman, who came off the bench and played 28 minutes, was 12-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-7 from three-point range and 6-of-6 at the free-throw line.
 
Shippensburg will travel to Cheyney on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off with the Wolves from Cope Hall.