BLOOMSBURG—For the first time in nine years the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team will be hosting a PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) quarterfinal playoff game when it entertains Kutztown on Tuesday night at the Nelson Field House starting at 7 p.m.
Ticket prices for the quarterfinals are $7 for adults and $2 for students. There is free admission for students of both Bloomsburg and Kutztown with valid ID. No school passes (Huskies Athletic Association) will be accepted only conference passes will be allowed.
The Huskies, 21-5 and winners of 11 straight games, won the PSAC Eastern Division championship for the first time since the 2000-01 season and will be hosting their first PSAC playoff game since the 2001-02 season. Bloomsburg, the top seed from the East, will take on fourth seeded Kutztown, a team it has already beaten twice this season.
In the first meeting of the season at Kutztown the Huskies had to hang on for an 87-84 win, while in the rematch a few weeks ago at Bloomsburg it was a little easier for the Huskies as they won 85-70.
Bloomsburg is making its second straight PSAC playoff appearance under head coach Bill Cleary. A year ago the Huskies lost to Kutztown on the road, 74-67, in overtime. The Huskies will be looking to snap a five-game PSAC playoff losing streak. The last win for Bloomsburg in the PSAC playoffs came in the 2000-01 season when the Huskies beat Kutztown, 53-49. This is the fifth all-time meeting between the team's in the post-season with the series knotted 2-2./
During Bloomsburg's 11-game winning streak the Huskies have been on fire offensively. In nine of the 11 wins the Huskies have won by more than 10 points with three of those wins by 30 or more points and two others by 20 or more points.
Leading the way for the Huskies have been junior Kelsey Gallagher (East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg South) and sophomore Dana Wieller (Bethlehem/Liberty). Gallagher, with a solid all-around game, is second on the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game; first in rebounding at 5.8 per contest, and is second in assists with 3.5 per game. She is also second in three-pointers made with 71 and leads the team in free throw shooting with a mark of 88.0 percent (73-83).
Wieller leads the Huskies in scoring with 18.4 points per game and has hit a school single-season record 87 three-pointers. She is also averaging 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game and is also deadly from the foul line at 82.2 percent (81-101).
In addition to those three, sophomore Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley) has also picked her moments to shine this season and is averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Overall the Huskies average 76.5 points per game and allow 60.3.
In the other games Tuesday night, No. 3 seed West Chester will travel to No. 2 Millersville in what will also be a rematch of one of last year's quarterfinal games at the same site. Last season, the Golden Rams scored the biggest upset of the tournament when they knocked off the top-seeded Marauders in double overtime on the road.
Edinboro will be the top seed out of the West and the Fighting Scots will host No. 4 seed Mercyhurst in one of Tuesday's quarterfinals. Edinboro won its first West title since 1997 while Mercyhurst will be making its first PSAC Tournament appearance in this, its third year in the league. In the other quarterfinal, No. 3 seed California will travel to No. 2 IUP in a rematch of a quarterfinal last year, only this year, the seeds are reversed. Last year, Cal topped the Crimson Hawks en route to its 10th straight championship game appearance. This will mark the fifth straight year that the Vulcans and Crimson Hawks will meet in the PSAC Tournament, as they met in the championship game for three straight years prior to meeting in last year's quarterfinals.
Semifinals and the championship game are set for next Friday and Saturday, respectively, March 4 and 5 at the home of the highest remaining seed out of the East.
2011 PSAC Women's Basketball Tournament
Quarterfinals - March 1 (at higher seed)
(W3) California at (W2) IUP, 5:30 p.m.
(E4) Kutztown at (E1) Bloomsburg, 7:00 p.m.
(E3) West Chester at (E2) Millersville, 7:00 p.m.
(W4) Mercyhurst at (W1) Edinboro, 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals - March 4 (at highest remaining East seed)
California/IUP vs. Kutztown/Bloomsburg, TBA
Mercyhurst/Edinboro vs. West Chester/Millersville, TBA
Championship - March 5
California/IUP/Kutztown/Bloomsburg vs. Mercyhurst/Edinboro/West Chester/Millersville, TBA
