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EAST STROUDSBURG – Ashley Wood had 21 points to help Kutztown remain in fourth place in the PSAC East with a 61-42 win over East Stroudsburg University on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Golden Bears (14-10, 7-5) scored the final six points of the first half and 13 of the first 15 in the second half to open a 23-point lead after ESU closed within six points late in the opening period.

The Warriors came back with a 10-0 run of their own, getting four points from redshirt junior forward Brittany McClain and three straight layups by sophomore forward Mia Waring, to make the score 46-33 with 8:35 left. Wood scored Kutztown's next nine points as part of an 11-2 run to extend the margin, and the Golden Bears remained one game ahead of Shippensburg for the PSAC East's final playoff spot.

McClain had 12 points and eight rebounds and Waring had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists for ESU (5-19, 2-10). Freshman forward Nicole Hill didn't score but had nine rebounds, one off her career-high, and freshman guard Andrea Veres had five points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Wood's 21 points came on 8-for-16 shooting, Melissa McQuade had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and five steals and Andrea Sisson added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench for Kutztown. Meredith Starr had seven points, six rebounds and four assists as the Golden Bears produced assists on 18 of their 23 field goals.

Kutztown, in the bottom half of the PSAC in field goal percentage defense, held ESU without a field goal from 3:30 in the first half to 11:30 in the second half during its key run. The Warriors made six of their next eight shots and grabbed offensive rebounds on their two misses, but Wood took over with nine of her 13 second-half points to put the game away.

ESU finishes the 2010-11 season with two games next week, hosting Bloomsburg on Wednesday and closing its first season under head coach Maureen Smith next Saturday at Shippensburg.