Release Date: 2/11/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANSFIELD DROPS 63-60 HEARTBREAKER AT KUTZTOWN

KUTZTOWN- Mansfield University dropped a heart-breaking 63-60 setback to Kutztown University in a key PSAC East women’s match up Wednesday night at Keystone Hall.

In a game in which the Mountaineers came back three times and only turned the ball over 14 times, they were unable to convert at the end.

The Golden Bears started the game on an 11-5 run behind the shooting of Danielle Warntz who scored 10 of her game high 18 points in the first half.  Kutztown extended their lead to as much as 11 points off a Brooke Martin jumper with 5:11 remaining for a 25-14 lead.

However, the Mountaineers came right back going on a 13-4 run to end the first half behind sophomore Alison Tagliaferri’s (Linden/Jersey Shore) 10 first half points to trail by two points at intermission.

The Mountaineers started the second half of action the way they ended the first.  Senior Rachel Rieder (Cranberry Township/Seneca Valley) capped an 11-2 run with a two point jumper for a 38-31 Mansfield advantage.

The Golden Bears responded with a 10-2 run of their own to regain the lead 41-40 with 13:18 remaining in regulation.  The Mountaineers would then tie the game at 48-48 on a two point jumper by senior Jessica Pfeiffer (Erie/Seneca) who finished the game with a team high 17 points with 10:36 remaining. 

Kutztown would regain the lead on the following possession by a lay up from Jackie Daley for a 50-48 Golden Bear advantage. 

Mansfield would keep the game close as they came within one point of Kutztown on three occasions down the stretch, but were never able to recapture the lead. Trailing 61-60, the Mountaineers missed two free throws with: 33 left and a game tying 3-pointer at the buzzer was long. Mansfield was out rebounded 41-27 and shot 52.6 percent from the free throw line compared to Kutztown’s 90.9 percent.

Tagliaferri finished with 16 points passing Michele Jeffrey (873) for 12^th on the all time scoring list.  She now has 876 career points.  Also moving up on the Mansfield all time scoring list was Pfeiffer, with her team high 17 points brings her closer to 1,000 career points.  She surpassed Jen Nichols for ninth place on the all time scoring list with 944 career points.

Junior Stephanie Rieser (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) added 9 points and a game high six assists.


Mansfield will return to action at 1 p.m. Saturday as the Mountaineers play host to the Wolves of Cheyney University.