BLOOMSBURG – The Bloomsburg University women's basketball team showed in its previous two games just how dangerous it can be from beyond the arc.  Coming off two of their best shooting performances of the season, the Huskies return to Nelson Field House for the first time in over a month in hopes of continuing their dominant play on their home floor.
 
The 25th-ranked Huskies (8-3, 4-3 PSAC) host Lock Haven University (4-7, 1-6) and Clarion University (7-6, 3-4) on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11-12, in the final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover weekend of the season before heading into divisional play next week.  Tipoff for both games is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
Both games 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.
 
After leading the conference in three-point shooting a season ago, Bloomsburg had gotten off to a shaky start from long distance and had to find other ways to earn its victories.  The Huskies found their rhythm in Erie last weekend by making 11 three-pointers against Gannon and Mercyhurst while shooting over 36 percent in both games.
 
Keeping its hot shooting alive shouldn't be a problem when Bloomsburg plays on its home floor this weekend for the first time since taking down then-15th-ranked Edinboro on Dec. 2.  Bloomsburg currently holds a 15-game winning streak at home and since the 2010-11 season, it is an impressive 28-5 at Nelson Field House.
 
Doing the most damage from beyond the arc the last two games have been Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty), Dana Wieller (Bethlehem/Liberty), and Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley).  Noack tied her career-high with six three-pointers against Gannon en route to a season-high 20 points.  For the season, the junior is fourth on the team in scoring at 8.1 per clip and is shooting 35.2 percent from long range.
 
Wieller leads the Huskies in scoring and is fourth in the PSAC at 14.7 points per game.  The senior is coming off her own 20-point, six three-pointer performance against Mercyhurst, and has made a three-pointer in 15 consecutive games.  The program's all-time leader in career three-pointers rates third in the conference with 26 this season as well as ranking third in steals (2.8) and fourth in free throw percentage (85.7).
 
Oxenrider has scored in double figures in four straight games for the Huskies.  She had a bit of a slump from three-point range earlier this season with an 0-for-21 stretch over six games, but has stormed back to shoot 40 percent (8-for-14) from beyond the arc in the last four.  The senior is one of the top free throw shooters in the country, making 88.1 percent of her attempts for tops in the PSAC and 26th in Division II.  She is averaging 11.4 points per game.
 
A key to Bloomsburg's impressive shooting as of late has been effective ball movement around the perimeter.  Bloomsburg leads the PSAC and is 14th in Division II with 17.73 assists per game. BU is assisting on 66.78 percent of its total field goals.
 
Inside the arc, senior forward Lauren Ellis (Bangor/Bangor) has owned the paint and is turning in effective minutes for the Huskies.  She is shooting 53.6 percent from the field this season, and a team-best 63.3 percent in her last five games.  She is second on the team and 14th in the PSAC in scoring at 12 per clip, and is ninth in rebounding at 7.8 per game. 
 
Defensively, Ellis is coming off a career-high five-block outing against Mercyhurst.  She ranks fifth in the PSAC averaging 1.6 rejections per game.
 
Bloomsburg leads the overall series with Lock Haven, 21-17, and holds a three-game winning streak over the Lady Eagles.  BU won 73-55 last season, and hasn't lost to Lock Haven at home since a 68-54 decision in the 2007-08 season. 
 
Rebounding will be one of the significant difference makers this weekend. In BU's eight wins, it averages 44.4 rebounds per game and a +8.5 advantage.  In its three losses, it grabs just 29.7 rebounds for an average margin of -13.0.
 
The Lady Eagles bring the top rebounding team in the conference to Nelson Field House Friday night.  Lock Haven averages 45 rebounds per game and is coming off an 11-point loss to West Chester.  Kelsey Ryan is the team's top scorer this season at 11.7 while grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game.  Marrysa Moyer is seventh in the PSAC at eight rebounds per game while chipping in 10.6 points.
 
Against Clarion, Bloomsburg holds a two-game winning streak and leads the overall series, 17-12.  BU won 75-68 on the road last season, and hasn't lost to Clarion since the 2009-10 season. It hasn't lost to Clarion at home since the 2008-09 season.
 
The Golden Eagles have the top rebounder in the league in Hannah Heeter.  She is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game and has 17 career double-doubles including a 17-point, 16-rebound effort against Cheyney two games ago.  Heeter also leads the team in scoring and is third in the PSAC at 15.3 points per game.
 
Following the weekend pair of games, Bloomsburg moves into Eastern Division play and will host Shippensburg University on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at Nelson Field House with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m.