Box Score

BLOOMSBURG--Despite closing a 14-point deficit to tie the game with five and a half minutes remaining, the Bloomsburg University men's basketball team was unable to complete the rally against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division foe Mansfield University on Wednesday evening. The Huskies (6-11, 2-3 PSAC East) fell to the host Mountaineers (12-5, 4-1 PSAC East) by a final score of 71-64.

Strong defense limited the scoring early in the game, as Bloomsburg held a 4-0 lead with nearly five minutes elapsed in the game. After that, both offenses settled into the game, and the Huskies led 8-6 after six minutes.

Mansfield, ranked No. 9 in the latest NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, went on a 19-6 run to take a commanding 25-14 lead with six to play in the period. The Mountaineers extended their lead to 14 and carried a 36-22 advantage into halftime.

After the break, Coach Sanow's Huskies found their rhythm and fought back, opening the period with a 4-0 run and later benefiting from back-to-back three-pointers from Trevon Johnson (Snow Hill, MD, Snow Hill) that cut the deficit to 39-33.

A layup from Dontahe Jordan (Williamsport, Williamsport) with eleven and a half to play narrowed the gap to 46-45, and the Huskies found themselves back in the game. With 6:33 on the clock, Johnson nailed a jumper to tie the game at 53-53.

From there, foul trouble plagued Bloomsburg, and Mansfield pulled away again; the Huskies would finish the game with 25 infractions called against them, compared to 16 fouls for the Mountaineers.

After another layup by Johnson to tie the game at 55-55, a 4-0 run by Mansfield gave the hosts the lead for good. The Mountaineers held off Bloomsburg's final charge and went on to win 71-64.

Johnson finished with a game-high 24 points, marking his sixth straight game scoring in double digits. The junior also added a game-high five steals. Lorenzo Christmas (Norristown, Norristown) was the only other Husky in double-figures, scoring 10 points on the day. Jordan finished with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Up next, Bloomsburg returns home to Nelson Field House for a Whiteout game against West Chester on Saturday, January 29, at 3 p.m. Bloomsburg fans are encouraged to wear white to support the Huskies.