Late game woes continue for Lady Bears

Kutztown Golden Bears 59
East Stroudsburg Warriors 67

Recap: The Golden Bears kept it close throughout the game, but were unable to make plays in the final minutes, allowing the Warriors to escape with an eight point win. KU has had serious problems closing out games this season, especially as of late, and has come up on the short end of 4 of the last 5 games.

Telling Stat: The Warriors had nine steals and forced 22 KU turnovers. The Golden Bears continue to have their problems protecting the ball and this was yet another example of a game the KU likely would’ve won had they not committed so many turnovers.

Key play: The Golden Bears led by one with just over four minutes left to play, but allowed the Warriors to score the next 9 points. The run was capped off by pairs of free throws off the hands of Kristen Murray and DeAnna Rayam, which sealed the deal. Melissa McQuade (pictured) answered with a three-pointer, but it was too little, too late as there was just 34 seconds left to play. The Warriors would add three more free throws to cap the win.

Most Valuable Golden Bear: For the second consecutive game, Melissa McQuade was the best player on the floor for KU. The freshman was 8-of-18 from the floor for 20 points, 15 in the first half, and also hauled in 11 rebounds. She was 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and registered 2 blocks. McQuade played 37 minutes after seeing 45 minutes of work against Cheyney. Coach Malouf has not been afraid of overworking the freshman, despite the fact that McQuade’s scoring numbers have dropped in the second half.

Least Valuable Golden Bear: Meredith Starr was 0-for-6 from the floor and scored just 1 point despite 27 minutes of work. She did have 5 assists, but turned the ball over 4 times. Fellow starting guard Lara Dellegrotti was not much better, hitting just 2 of her 11 shots for 5 points.

Impact: This was the second consecutive game in which KU had an opportunity to solidify its place as a serious contender for a PSAC playoff berth. In both games, the Golden Bears came up short. Now at 2-4 through one round of inter-divisional play, KU will need to win at least 3 and possibly 4 of their final games if they hope to be playoff bound. As we speak, the ladies are tied with Bloomsburg for fifth place in the East. They trail Cheyney and ESU by 1 game, who currently own the third and fourth postseason bids.