BLOOMSBURG – Off to a perfect start to its 2012-13 campaign and beginning to receive some national recognition, the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team opens Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play this weekend with a pair of crossover matchups at Nelson Field House.
 
The Huskies (3-0), ranked 25th in the latest USA Today Division II Coaches Poll, host Slippery Rock University (1-2) on Saturday, Dec. 1, and 15th-ranked Edinboro University (2-1) on Sunday, Dec. 2 in a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship game.  Tipoff for both games is set for 1 p.m.
 
Saturday's game will be aired live on BUTV's webcast at the link above.  Sunday's game will be broadcast live on WHLM (930-AM) based out of Bloomsburg with Larry White calling all the action. In addition, listeners throughout the world can listen to the game live on BU's website at www.buhuskies.com. The pre-game show will begin 20 minutes before tipoff.
 
Bloomsburg's hard work in the opening weeks of the season has it out to a fantastic start.  It opened the year receiving votes in the national coaches' poll, but the Huskies have shown they have the potential to be one of the top teams in the country as they enter the national poll for the first time this season.
 
“It's always a nice recognition to earn a national ranking by your peers,” Bloomsburg head coach Bill Cleary said.  “We're coming off our best game of the season (Wilmington), but ultimately we know we are playing to be in the poll at the end of the season.”
 
This season marks the second year that PSAC crossover games count towards teams' overall conference record.  Saturday will be the 23rd meeting between the Huskies and The Rock with each team winning 11 games.  BU has won the previous two games by an average of 24 points including a 29-point victory in the 2010-11 season.  The Rock's last win over BU was an 81-51 victory on their home floor in the 2007-08 season.  SRU hasn't won at Nelson Field House since a 67-52 win in the 2006-07 season.
 
Sunday marks the 22nd overall meeting between Bloomsburg and Edinboro as the Fighting Scots have won the last two matchups and hold a 13-8 advantage in the series.  BU dropped two games to Edinboro last season including a 74-58 setback in the PSAC Championship game that snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Huskies.  BU last defeated Edinboro in the 2009-10 season, a 77-72 victory at the Nelson Field House.

“Anytime someone knocks you out of the playoffs, you have a little extra motivation the next time you play them,” Cleary commented on BU's rematch against Edinboro.  “That game is still in the back of our minds; however, we also know this is a new year and that we need to maintain our focus in order to play well this weekend.”
 
The Huskies are coming off a lopsided, 96-55 win over Wilmington on Monday in which they featured some career-high outings and their best shooting performance of the season. BU's 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 23 assists against the Wildcats were both season-highs.
 
Senior guard Dana Wieller (Bethlehem/Liberty) eclipsed the 1,500-point mark in BU's win over Wilmington, the fifth BU player to do so in school-history. Wieller, BU's leading scorer at 15 points per game this season, ranks sixth in the PSAC in scoring and has scored in double-digits in 20 straight games. 
 
Wieller has done most of her damage from beyond the arc.  Her 11 three-pointers this season rate third in the conference, and her 275 career three-pointers are a Bloomsburg record and tied for third-most in PSAC history.
 
Three Huskies average double figures in scoring with senior Lauren Ellis (Bangor/Bangor) scoring 14.3 per game with fellow senior Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley) chipping in 10.7 per clip.  As a team, Bloomsburg leads the PSAC in scoring at 84.7 points per game.  BU's 96 points in its win over Wilmington were the most points in a single game since the 2010-11 season when it scored 99 against ESU and 100 against Penn State Schuylkill.
 
Oxenrider recorded her 200th career assist in BU's win over Wilmington.  She has 201 in her career as Bloomsburg has dished out 10 or more assists in 35 straight games including each of its 32 games last season.
 
Sophomore transfer Jocelyn Ford (Lansing, NY/Lansing) is coming off a career-high game against Wilmington and is turning into a fine addition to this year's team.  She scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 14 minutes Monday night and could continue to see increased playing time through the season.
 
“Jocelyn put in a great amount of time in the gym over the summer and during the pre-season, so it wasn't surprising with the way she played against Wilmington,” Cleary said.  “She's going to play a significant role off the bench for us this season and we're confident that her best basketball is ahead of her.”
 
The Rock are coming off a 93-76 setback at Charleston last Saturday.  On the season, four players average double figures in scoring led by D'Asia Chambers at 18.3 per game, good for fourth in the PSAC.  Alexas Brown (14.0), Errine Cunningham (12.0), and Danielle Garroutte (11.0) give Slippery Rock plenty of options on the offensive end.  However, The Rock allow 79.7 points per game and are shooting just 51.7 percent from the charity stripe this season.
 
Edinboro will play at Mansfield on Saturday before making its trip to Nelson Field House.  Samantha Blazetic leads the Fighting Scots with 18 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.  She also has a team-high seven blocks.  Darche' Jackson (14.0), Kiara Brown (13.0), and Laurel Lindsay (11.0) all average double figures in scoring for a team averaging 83 points per game this season, second in the PSAC.
 
Following its pair of crossover contests, Bloomsburg will travel to Millersville University on Saturday, Dec. 8 for an Eastern Division game at Pucillo Gymnasium set to tip at 1 p.m.