KUTZTOWN, Pa.- Searching for its third PSAC Semifinal appearance in as many seasons, the West Chester University women's basketball team (15-15) ventured to Kutztown (20-11) on Wednesday night for a PSAC Quarterfinal clash. West Chester battled throughout the evening and trailed by five midway through the fourth quarter but fell to the top-seeded Golden Bears by a 63-50 final.
Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) was the lone Golden Ram in double figures with 19 points on 8-of-17 along with eight rebounds in her final game as a Golden Ram.
Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), and Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) all chipped in eight points each in the season-ending setback. Hopta led West Chester in assists with five, while Kozicki chipped in three.
The Golden Rams shot just 37.9 % (22-of-58) in the setback, including a 1-for-13 (7.7 %) effort from beyond the arc, while also going 5-for-8 (62.5 %) at the free throw line.
Kutztown, led by 23 points from Bella Quinn as one of four Golden Bears in double figures shot 37.5 % (18-of-48) from the field, including 11 makes from three-point range (11-for-29), while also going 16-for-23 (69.6 %) from the free throw line. Naia Pulliam chipped in 15 of her own, along with 12 from Leila Hurley and 10 from Abbey Hearn.
West Chester used a 6-0 run to erase an 11-6 lead early in the first quarter and take a 12-11 lead with 4:20 to play after McTamney's jumper for her first points of the evening. Kutztown responded with a 5-0 run from Bella Quinn to take a 16-12 lead before a Daley layup cut the deficit to 16-14 with 2:02 to play in the first quarter.
Trailing 19-14 at the end of the first, West Chester was outscored 7-4 to open the second quarter as the Golden Bears took a 26-18 lead midway through the frame. West Chester closed the half on an 8-5 run to remain within five points (31-26) at the halftime break.
West Chester shot 42.9 % (12-of-28) from the field in the first half, including an 0-for-3 effort from beyond the arc, while Kutztown shot 41.4 % (12-of-29) from the field, while going 7-for-17 (41.2 %) from three-point range.
Kozicki led West Chester in scoring in the first half with 10 points.
West Chester was within four (40-36) midway through the third quarter after a driving layup by Daley before the Golden Bears went on an 8-2 run to close the quarter and carry a 48-38 lead into the fourth.
Led by a pair of layups from Kozicki, West Chester opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run, which saw the team cut the Kutztown lead to 48-44 with just under eight minutes to play. Bella Quinn countered with a three with 7:24 to play, which restored a seven-point (51-44) lead. West Chester remained within striking distance down the stretch, trailing 52-47 with 4:33 to play. The Golden Rams could not get much closer than this as their upset bid fell short by a 63-50 final.
Kutztown ended the game with a slim 36-31 lead in rebounding, including a 25-19 lead on the defensive glass. West Chester ended the game with a 15-16 lead in turnovers, although Kutztown finished the night with a 20-14 lead in points off turnovers.
West Chester did end the game with a 14-11 lead in second-chance points and a 38-10 lead in points in the paint.
Tonight's loss brings the Golden Rams 2024-25 season to its conclusion as the Golden Rams end the year in the PSAC Tournament for the ninth time in 10 seasons with a record of 15-15 overall.
