The Shippensburg University women's basketball team played tremendous basketball for three quarters but could not slow down a fourth-quarter rally by the red-hot Kutztown Golden Bears in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division loss Wednesday at Keystone Arena, 76-70.
Shippensburg (8-17, 5-14 PSAC) led by 17 points, 54-37, with 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter before Kutztown (17-10, 12-6) exploded for 34 points in the final 10 minutes to win its program-record 11th consecutive game.
The Raiders shot a season-high matching 50 percent from three-point range (5-for-10) and outscored the Golden Bears in the paint 36-24 for the game, two major factors that allowed SU to jump out to an early lead. Senior point guard
Taja Colbert ran the show, finishing with 22 points – one off her career high – on 10-of-17 shooting (58.8 percent) and career-high matching seven assists.
Kutztown went 4-of-5 from three-point range (80 percent) in the fourth quarter after shooting 5-for-24 from distance (21 percent) in the first three frames.
Senior guard Naia Pulliam (14 points) and junior guard Leila Hurley combined for 26 points in the fourth quarter and 44 for the game. Pulliam netted a game-high 23 points, including 14 in the last 10 minutes. Hurley finished with 21, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
Kutztown came all the way back and took its first lead since midway through the first quarter with a basket with 1:38 left in regulation. The Golden Bears continued on what was a 12-0 run that lasted from the 2:41 mark of the fourth until 17 seconds remaining.
The KU comeback spoiled a stellar night for several Raiders. Senior
Abbie Miller totaled 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Sophomore
Bella Chimienti finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while junior
Makayla Foddrell added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Shippensburg returns to action next Wednesday at Shepherd. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m.
