EDINBORO, Pa. – Edinboro started Saturday's contest against Kutztown by making 8-of-10 field goals over the opening 5:50, and five Fighting Scots scored in double figures in a 86-65 win at McComb Fieldhouse. The Fighting Scots, who played their second of three straight home games against the Golden Bears, are now 5-0 at McComb on the season.

With the win, Edinboro improves to 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the PSAC West, while Kutztown falls to 8-6 and 3-5 in the PSAC East. Heading into the contest, Edinboro ranked 15th in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25, and were 25th in the D2SIDA Poll.

The Fighting Scots started the game by winning the jump ball, and Michaela Barnes scoring a layup for a 2-0 lead just three seconds into the contest. Edinboro never relinquished its lead, as the Scots led by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter. Barnes' basket was part of a 17-7 Fighting Scot run, with Ciara Rosten, Cheniya Sharpe and Barnes contributing four points apiece.

At the end of 10 minutes, Edinboro led 24-14, as they shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the floor, while holding Kutztown to 14 points on 38.5 percent (5-of-13) shooting. Freshman Rylee Derr scored eight of the Golden Bears points in the stanza.

In the second quarter, both teams struggled from the floor. Edinboro made 4-of-17 attempts from the field, with Kutztown making 5-of-16 of their attempted baskets. Both teams scored for 14 points in the frame, and the Fighting Scots headed into halftime with a 38-28 lead.

Jontay Walton led all players at the half with 17 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the floor, and made a perfect 7-of-7 on free throws. Rosten eclipsed nine rebounds for the Fighting Scots.

In the third stanza, Barnes quickly picked up her second and third fouls in the contest, and with 7:36 remaining in the quarter, was subbed out for Ayana Vaughn. 18 seconds later Derr drilled her second 3-pointer, with the Golden Bears cutting the Fighting Scots lead to single digits at 44-35. Following the Kutztown basket, Vaughn scored Edinboro's next seven points, shooting 3-of-3 from the field and 1-1 from the beyond the arc over a 1:24 span. The Fighting Scots lead increased to 16 points, and would be 61-46 after 30 minutes played.
 

Kutztown started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run in just over a two-minute stretch, cutting the deficit back to single digits at 61-53. Sharpe checked in at the 8:30 mark, and instantly provided a spark on the defense end. Following a Rosten layup, she scored a traditional 3-point play, and grabbed two offense rebounds over a seven-second window. With a 12-point lead (69-57) at the 5:35 mark, the 5'11" junior forward and Vaughn stepped up on both ends of the court. Over the next 2:26, Sharpe scored four points and grabbed three boards, while the 5'8" redshirt-senior guard scored six points on a pair of 3-pointers and grabbed two rebounds. As a result, Edinboro held a 20-point lead at 79-59 with just over three minutes left in the contest.

Walton led all players with 21 points, including 11-for-11 at the charity stripe and four steals. Rosten went for 10 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year and third straight. She also recorded four blocks, marking her seventh game in a row of blocking three or more shots. Sharpe also notched a double-double, her first of the season with 15 points, on 5-of-7 shooting and ten boards. Vaughn, also made 5-of-7 from the field, for a career-high 13 points, including 3-of-5 3-pointers. Barnes went for 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Derr led Kutztown with 17 points and three steals. Taylor Thames also scored in double figures with 13 points. Keifonna Ferguson was the leading rebounder for the Golden Bears, racking up five boards.

Edinboro edged Kutztown 35-27 in bench points, and had a 15-3 advantage in 2nd chance opportunities.

The Fighting Scots shot 40.3 percent (27-of-67), and nearly equaled their makes on free throws (23-of-26). The Golden Bears attempted 11 fewer shots, making 41.1 percent (23-of-56), and also missed three attempts at the charity stripe (13-for-16).

On Monday, Edinboro completes a three-game home stand against Pitt-Johnstown. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.