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BLOOMSBURG – The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team fought to the bitter end Wednesday night against nationally-ranked East Stroudsburg University, but the Huskies fell to the 20th-ranked Warriors, 77-68 at Nelson Field House in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup.
 
The Huskies (5-13, 2-11 PSAC) nearly overcame multiple double-digit deficits to a team that had won its last six games by double digits.  Trailing 59-49 at the midway point of the second half, Bloomsburg went on a 9-0 run coming from the free throw line and beyond the arc to bring the game to one at 59-58 with 7:02 to play.  Unfortunately, the Warriors (16-2, 13-1) responded with a 13-2 run to push their lead back to double figures and end the potential comeback.
 
Everyone who played for Bloomsburg scored including a pair in double figures.  Sophomore guard Zach Sheetz (Landisville/Hempfield) led the team in scoring for the third consecutive game.  He dropped 15 points including three three-pointers and five of the nine Bloomsburg points in the late run.
 
Junior forward Dontahe Jordan (Williamsport/Williamsport) returned to the lineup after missing six games and scored 14 points, 10 coming in the first half, on 6-for-11 shooting off the bench.  He also had five rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks.  Bloomsburg's bench totaled 35 points and has scored 20 or more in seven of its last eight games.
 
Fellow junior Nasir Jones (Philadelphia/Franklin Learning Center) scored all nine of his points in the first half and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. As a team, Bloomsburg out-rebounded East Stroudsburg, 42-36.  However, 10 of ESU's 15 second half rebounds came on the offensive end.
 
The Huskies shot 43.9 percent from the field including a 50 percent performance in the second half.  They have now shot over 43 percent in three straight games after topping the mark just four times in their first 15 games.
 
Turnovers played a significant factor in Wednesday night's outcome.  The Huskies had 27 turnovers which turned into 30 East Stroudsburg points.  The Warriors turned the ball over 14 times and made nine more free throws than Bloomsburg (20-for-28).
 
East Stroudsburg had three players score in double figures led by sophomore guard Whis Grant's 22.  Grant made four three-pointers and all six of his free throws.  He also dished out a game-high six assists. Terrance King scored 14 and Duane Johnson finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The opening minutes were controlled by East Stroudsburg as it didn't take long for the Warriors to build a lead.  Just 5:47 into the game, ESU held a 12-point, 16-4 advantage over the Huskies.  BU responded with a 7-0 run to bring the game to five, but it was as close as it got in the first half.  ESU led by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes and led 41-30 at the break after Jones' five unanswered points closed the first half scoring.
 
The Huskies return to action on Saturday, Feb. 2 when they travel to Kutztown University for an Eastern Division game set to tip at 3 p.m.  KU swept the season series last year.