Box Score

BOX SCORE

BLOOMSBURG—Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty) came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points to lead the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team to a 69-61 win over Shippensburg University in the quarterfinals of the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) playoffs. Bloomsburg, 25-4, has now won 11 straight games.
 
With the win the Huskies advance to their second straight PSAC Final Four and will face IUP on Friday night at Edinboro starting at 5:30 p.m.

Shippensburg (14-13) held the early lead in the game jumping out to a 10-4 lead through the first five minutes of action. The Huskies though turned things around going on a 16-2 run to grab a 20-12 lead. Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley) started the rally with a three-pointer followed by a couple of free throws and later a layup from Lauren Ellis (Bangor/Bangor) putting the Huskies on top 11-10.
 
Noack then came into the game and drained three-pointers on back-to-back possessions before Oxenrider finished off the rally with her second three-pointer putting the Huskies on top by eight with 11:07 to go in the half.
 
The Raiders narrowed the gap back to one point, 20-19, with a 7-0 run before Bloomsburg got a layup from Danielle Derr (Dresner/Upper Dublin) and a three-pointer from Dana Wieller (Bethlehem/Liberty) to lead by six, 25-19.
 
Leading by five points at halftime the Huskies slowly built the lead to double digits in the second half when Noack hit a three-pointer with 13:06 to play making it a 48-36 edge for Bloomsburg.
 
The Huskies would later go up by as many as 17 points when Oxenrider's bucket gave Bloomsburg a 62-45 lead with 6:33 to play. The lead would stay in double digits for till the Raiders narrowed the lead down to seven, 65-58, with 1:37 to play.
 
Oxenrider though went 4-4 from the foul line in the final 35 seconds to seal the win and send Bloomsburg to the conference final four.
 
“I am extremely proud of the team and how hard they have worked,” said coach Bill Cleary. “Reaching the final four two years in a row is a great achievement, but there is more to be done. Overall we gave a great effort tonight.”
 
“We struggled a bit early on to hit some shots, but Cat (Catherine) Noack came off the bench and gave a big lift hitting, not only the three-pointer, but also driving to the basket,” Cleary added. “Plus our defense was very solid all night.
 
The Huskies will face IUP, a team it lost to earlier in the season 84-79, in Friday's semi-finals at Edinboro. In the other semi-final West Chester will take on Edinboro.
 
Bloomsburg is looking to claim its second PSAC title in school history in this the 20^th anniversary season of that lone championship.
 
Noack finished with 19 points and had eight rebounds, while Oxenrider finished with 17 points and Wieller 11.
 
Monae Baker led Shippensburg with 17 points and 13 rebounds.