By The Keystone Newspaper KU Women’s Basketball wins PSAC championship for the first time in program history
By Tommy Scuderi
A conference championship is always the goal for any team at the beginning of the season, but for Coach Malouf and the KU women’s basketball team, it was something that had always been just out of reach. In her 30-year coaching career, a PSAC title had remained elusive—until now.
Photo Credit: Edinboro Athletics
Not many fans or analysts picked this squad as favorites to take the conference. Even fellow coaches had predicted KU to finish third in the PSAC East in the preseason poll. Through the first month and a half of the season, it seemed like those expectations were correct. KU stumbled out of the gate, starting 6-10 and sitting in seventh place in the PSAC East.
From here, KU flipped the script and rattled off three straight home wins against Mansfield, Bloomsburg, and Millersville before heading on the road for a dramatic, triple-overtime victory against Clarion on Jan. 22. From there, KU would not lose again until Feb. 26, putting together a program-record 12-game winning streak that vaulted them into contention for the No. 1 seed in the PSAC East.
But to secure it, they had to defeat West Chester at home in the final game of the regular season. With the top spot on the line, KU delivered, grinding out a 63-57 win on Senior Day to officially lock up the No. 1 seed in the East and earn them a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
In the quarterfinals of the PSAC tournament, KU faced West Chester once again and proved their previous win was no fluke, beating the Golden Rams for the second time in five days 63-50 to advance to the semifinals hosted in Edinboro. Waiting for them there was their toughest challenge yet: 17th-ranked Gannon.
Despite being the underdogs, KU was undeterred. The Golden Bears delivered a determined performance to knock off Gannon 64-58 and punch their ticket to the PSAC championship game against tournament host Edinboro, who had secured home-court advantage.
Photo Credit: Edinboro Athletics
It was in that championship game that KU proved just how far they had come. From the opening tip, they played with intensity and confidence, playing a back-and-forth game against the Fighting Scots where they never wavered, controlling the game down the stretch in the fourth quarter, securing a 78-64 victory to claim the program’s first-ever PSAC title.
Graduate student Abbey Hearn was the driving force behind KU’s championship run and was named tournament MVP for her efforts. Hearn totaled 61 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks over the course of the semifinals and championship game, leading KU to its historic win. But she wasn’t the only one who stepped up when it mattered most.
“I am so proud of our team,” Coach Malouf said. “They never quit on themselves, they kept playing, and they stayed together as a team. Every member of this team was responsible for KU winning the title. We appreciate all the support everyone has shown us. Let’s keep it going as we continue the next quest.”
Winning the PSAC championship also secured KU an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they were awarded the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic Region. The Golden Bears will return to Edinboro on Friday, March 14, at 12:00 p.m. for their first-round matchup against PSAC foe Seton Hill.
From a slow start to a historic finish, KU women’s basketball showed that resilience, belief, and teamwork can overcome any odds. And now, for the first time ever, they are PSAC champions.