Box Score

KUTZTOWN - Junior forward Allison Howard scored 25 points to tie her career-high, but Kutztown prevailed down the stretch for a 77-75 win in PSAC East women's basketball on Saturday afternoon at Keystone Arena.

Sophomore forward Rebecca Rutkowski scored 18 points and junior guard Rachel Falkowski added a career-high 14 for the Warriors (11-12, 9-10).

Howard had 11 rebounds for her eight double-double of the season and added two steals and a career-high four blocks for ESU.

Kelsey Watson had 21 points, nine rebounds, three steals and five blocks to pace Kutztown (9-14, 6-13). Natalya Lee had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Jenna Altomare had 16 points and eight rebounds and Keifonna Ferguson scored 13 points.

Howard and Rutkowski both scored 14 points in the first half as ESU led 44-39 at intermission.

Kutztown finished the third quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 59-56 lead into the fourth.

Falkowski scored seven points in the final five minutes to keep the Warriors close, hitting a three to get ESU within 67-65 at the five-minute mark, a putback to make it 71-69 with 3:19 left and another putback to tie the game at 73-all with 1:14 remaining.

Lee hit a runner to give Kutztown a 75-73 lead with 47.8 seconds left, and after an ESU miss at the other end, Watson made two free throws to make it 77-73 with 13.8 seconds showing. Howard hit two free throws for the Warriors to set the final margin.

Howard turned in her third 20-point game of the season and the seventh of her career, matching her career-high of 25 points set at Mansfield as a freshman. She had her eighth double-double of the season and 13th of her career.

Falkowski had career-highs in points (14), rebounds (7) and assists (5), matching her assist total in Wednesday's OT loss vs. West Chester.

ESU remains fifth in the PSAC East entering the final three games. West Chester (15-4 PSAC) leads the division, followed by Shippensburg (14-6), Millersville (11-7), Bloomsburg (10-9), ESU (9-10), Lock Haven (8-12), Kutztown (6-13), Mansfield (3-15) and Cheyney (1-17).  The top six teams qualify for the postseason, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye.

ESU travels to Mansfield on Wednesday, hosts Lock Haven next Saturday (Feb. 20) and heads to Millersville on Feb. 24 to finish the regular season.

GAME NOTES
* ESU and Kutztown are 5-5 in the last 10 meetings since the start of the 2011-12 season.
* ESU won the first meeting this year, 66-65 at ESU on January 16, on a putback by Falkowski at the buzzer.
* In the last 10 games, ESU has scored 640 points, Kutztown has scored 638.

* Rutkowski (23) and Howard (19) combined for 42 points in an 85-77 (OT) loss vs. West Chester on Wednesday night.
* They have combined for 85 points in the last 2 games (Howard 44, Rutkowski 41).

Updated PSAC East standings:
15-4 - West Chester (18-5 overall)
14-6 - Shippensburg (18-6)
11-7 - Millersville (15-7)
10-9 - Bloomsburg (13-10)
9-10 - ESU (11-12)
8-12 - Lock Haven (11-13)
6-13 - Kutztown (9-14)
3-15 - Mansfield (6-16)
1-17 - Cheyney (2-19)

1 and 2 - 1st round bye (host quarterfinals Tuesday March 1)
3 and 4 - host 1st round Saturday February 27
5 and 6 - travel for 1st round