Box Score

KUTZTOWN, PA - Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) poured in a career-high 25 points and nailed five three-pointers, but a late Crimson Hawks rally came up just short as the 12th-ranked IUP women's basketball team fell to Kutztown 68-62 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover action Saturday.

Trailing 37-31 at the half, The Crimson Hawks stormed back to take a one point lead on a Mathe three with 6:28 to play in the game, but The Golden Bears would score the next eight points to take a 60-53 lead with just over three minutes remaining.

IUP would mount one last comeback attempt in the final minute when Mathe slipped in the lane for a layup to cut the deficit to three, but Arianna Apostolopoulos and Alyssa Bonenberger would each net a pair of free throws to salt away the win for Kutztown (6-5, 4-3 PSAC).

The Crimson Hawks struggled to shoot all evening, going just 19-of-59 (32%) from the floor and 7-of-24 (29%) from behind the arc as a team.

The teams would trade baskets over the game's first eight minutes until a 10-0 Kutztown run would give the Golden Bears an 18-9 lead with 9:52 to play in the half. A pair of Apostolopoulos buckets would bookend the run, while Bonenberger and Natalya Lee also added baskets.

Kutztown would lead by as much as 11 with over six minutes to play in the first period, but back-to-back three-pointers from Mathe and Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) would pull the Crimson Hawks to within five with 5:34 to play in the half.

IUP would erase the Kutztown lead entirely late in the period thanks to a Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel) three-point-play and a Melanie Todd (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) layup, but a 7-1 Golden Bears run over the final two minutes would give Kutztown a 37-31 lead at the half.

The Crimson Hawks would chip away at the lead for much of the second half, eventually taking their first lead since the 15:34 point of the first half thanks to Mathe's fifth three of the game. The sophomore was marvelous in the second stanza, tallying 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, four rebounds, and three steals.

Fairman was also strong for the Crimson Hawks Saturday, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. Todd added eight points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Watson finished with five points.

Lee led the way for Kutztown with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, while Bonenberger chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Crimson Hawks (10-3, 5-2 PSAC) will look to get back on track next Friday when they return home to face Shippensburg. Tipoff with the Raiders is set for 5:30 p.m.