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BLOOMSBURG – Daniel Kusnyer (Wexford/Hillsborough CC) made a three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left to send the game into overtime, but the Bloomsburg University men's basketball team fell in overtime to West Chester University, 88-82, Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action at Nelson Field House.
 
The Huskies (5-12, 3-10 PSAC) were led by sophomore guard Zach Sheetz (Landisville/Hempfield).  He scored a career-high 27 points including six three-pointers and a perfect 9-for-9 performance at the free throw line.  However, he fouled out with 48 seconds left in regulation and was unable to play in the overtime period.
 
Bloomsburg never gave up on either end of the floor and fought back from nine down with 4:29 to play.  It went on a 10-3 run capped with a Charles Haigler (Charles Town, WV/Hargrave Military Academy) layup with 38 seconds to play to bring the Golden Rams' (12-5, 10-3) lead to 72-70. 
 
West Chester's Jaleel Mack made two free throws the next trip down the floor, but was followed by an and-one play by Bloomsburg's Nasir Jones (Philadelphia/Franklin Learning Center) to make it a one-point game.  Harley Williamson made two free throws with nine seconds to play, which led to Kusnyer's game-tying three with 4.2 seconds left off an assist from Haigler.
 
Jon Breeden drove the length of the floor and made a layup as the buzzer sounded, but the shot was waived off as the Golden Ram guard did not get the shot off in time.
 
In overtime, West Chester led from start to finish.  Kusnyer made it a one possession game with 28 seconds left, but West Chester's terrific free throw shooting and a missed three-pointer attempt from Bloomsburg closed the game.
 
Along with Sheetz's career outing, Jones scored a career-high 14 points including a 6-for-7 performance at the free throw line.  He led the team with a career-high six rebounds. 
 
Haigler dished out a game-high eight assists and had a pair of steals.  The Huskies' third-leading scorer finished with four points and unfortunately, could not convert a free throw in seven attempts.
 
Bloomsburg continues its stretch of putting together effective shooting performances in overtime games.  Despite dropping its first overtime decision of the season in four games, Bloomsburg shot 48.1 percent from the field compared to West Chester's 40 percent.  A significant factor came at the free throw line as Bloomsburg shot 65.8 percent (25-for-28) to West Chester's 83.3 percent (35-for-42).
 
The Huskies trailed by nine at halftime, largely due to its 16 first half turnovers which turned into West Chester taking 34 shots in the first half, twice as many as Bloomsburg.
 
Looking to hold onto its lead, West Chester was determined in the second half to slow the game down, run the shot clock down on nearly every possession, and attack the basket with one of its four guards.  For the game, West Chester shot 83.3 percent from the charity stripe including a 23-for-26 performance in the second half.  It also out-rebounded Bloomsburg 42-30 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds which led to 27 second-chance points.
 
The Huskies held an early 5-0 advantage in the opening minutes of the first half, but it was their only lead of the game as the Golden Rams responded with a 7-0 run to take a two point, 7-5 lead at the 14:50 mark of the first half. West Chester led by as many as 13 in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Jon Breeden led five double figure scorers for West Chester.  He had 18 points and a team-high seven made free throws.  Also scoring in double figures were Corey Blake (16), Troy Hockaday (13), Mack (13), and Carl Johnson (10).  Five players made five or more free throws for West Chester.  Also playing well for WCU was Harley Williamson, who grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds while scoring seven points, five of which came at the free throw line.
 
Saturday also marked Bloomsburg's 'Play 4 Kay' game to raise awareness of and promote breast cancer research.  Read more about the 'Play 4 Kay' event by clicking here.
 
Bloomsburg remains at home and will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday, Jan. 30 when it hosts East Stroudsburg University (15-2, 12-1) at Nelson Field House beginning at 7:30 p.m.