Millersville, Pa. -- The Millersville Marauders replaced the Kutztown Golden Bears in the third spot in the PSAC East Division standings after mauling the Golden Bears 85-58 Saturday afternoon. Senior Alayah Hall set a new season-high with 24 points while leading all scorers.

The Marauders never trailed during the pivotal match up that could have greater ramifications in the PSAC post season. Millersville lead by as many as nine during the first quarter before a 9-6 Kutztown run cut Millersville's lead to just 17-13 at the end of the first.

The Marauders replicated their success from their game against Bloomsburg earlier this week and put together a 26-15 second quarter. Sophomore Courtney Dimoff scored 10 points including two three pointers during the quarter to spark the Millersville offense. Most importantly for the Marauders, they closed out the final two minutes of the half with an 8-0 run that proved to be an insurmountable gut punch for the Golden Bears. During the run, freshman Catherine Copeland came off the bench to give redshirt junior Kendra Bamberger a breather, and she contributed four points in the paint.

With a 43-28 lead entering the second half, the Marauders ratcheted up their aggression on defense and forced Kutztown into five turnovers. Four of the team's ten steals came in the third quarter which killed any possible comeback for the Golden Bears. The Marauders shot almost 53 percent from the field during the third quarter to add to their lead. Hall contributed six points while redshirt junior Janelle Robinson and freshman Olivia Mottern each scored five to close out the quarter with Millersville leading 66-39.

A 7-0 run towards the beginning of the fourth quarter earned Millersville a 30 point lead, its largest lead of the day. With the game clearly out of reach, Head Coach Mary Fleig turned to her second unit to close out the game. Sophomores Savanna Krusinsky and Reuneshia Williams along with freshmen Mottern, Lauren Lister, Jillian Novak, and Briana Perry all helped maintain a 25 point or better advantage for Millersville down the stretch.

Hall scored her 24 points on 9-10 shooting including 2-3 from the three point arch. The guard contributed everywhere on the court with seven rebounds, two steals, and two assists. The senior leader has been on fire in recent weeks scoring 20 or more points in three out of her last four games with a 19 point game interrupting a potential four game streak. 

Bamberger was the second leading scorer in the game with 13 points on 44 percent shooting. The forward clogged driving lanes and prevented easy Kutztown buckets while snagging seven assists for the team. Bamberger also played the role of facilitator as she lead all players with five assists.

Dimoff finished as the third leading scorer with 12 points on 50 percent shooting. The guard was effective at closing out Kutztown's longer shooters and forcing them to take tough shots. She snagged four rebounds while also recording one block as she stifled a fast break attempt by the Golden Bears.

Junior Jade Farquhar and Robinson rounded out the starters who all contributed quality minutes. The pair combined for 17 points while they each shot 50 percent from the field. Robinson was a monster on the boards as she snagged nine rebounds despite being the shortest player on the court against a Kutztown team that featured multiple 5-foot-10 guards. Farquhar also made an impact on the boards with her two rebounds both coming on the offensive end of the floor.

The Marauders set a new season-high field goal percentage of 53 percent. This was the second straight game that the team set a new season-high field goal percentage after shooting 50 percent against Bloomsburg. Millersville now ranks in the top half of the conference in scoring offense and defense and now averages a positive scoring margin for the first time since their home-opener against UVA-Wise.

Millersville improves to 8-7 and 5-6 over all in the PSAC while holding a 6-4 record in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders take a two game winning streak on their upcoming road trip. Millersville will look to improve their 2-3 away record and get to a .500 conference record at PSAC East rival Lock Haven on Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The Marauders then face a tough PSAC West test at Gannon on Jan. 20 at 1 p.m.