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BLOOMSBURG – A layup with 2.6 seconds remaining from Jen Papich sent second-ranked Gannon (12-0, 4-0 PSAC West) to a 65-63 victory over the Bloomsburg women's basketball team (7-3, 2-2 PSAC East) in a thriller at Nelson Field House on Saturday afternoon in a re-match of last year's PSAC Championship Game.

The Huskies nearly altered the top of the national rankings with their upset bid, leading the majority of the first half and building a six-point lead early following a jumper from Marla Simmons (Lebanon/Cedar Crest). Gannon kept itself in the game despite shooting 28 percent in the half (7-for-25) during the opening 20 minutes by repeatedly working to the foul line – the Golden Knights went 13-of-16 from the charity stripe in the first half while the Huskies were 0-of-2.

Bloomsburg held the lead for nearly eight minutes before a jumper from Morgan Neighbors tied the score at 19, but a basket from Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty) on the other end handed the lead back to the Huskies. Bloomsburg owned a narrow advantage until the 1:32 mark of the half when Kelley Sundberg put the visitors ahead, 28-27, with a 3-pointer. Foul shots from Brianna Brennan gave Gannon a three-point lead at 30-27 but a layup by Erica Maciejewski (Red Lion/Red Lion) pulled the Huskies within a point, 30-29, at intermission.

The score never separated by more than seven points during the second stanza, with Gannon seizing its largest lead at 39-32 following a drive to the hoop by Papich with 14:25 left to go. A 6-0 run by the Huskies brought the score back to a one-point margin and the teams would trade baskets over the next three minutes.

Noack pulled Bloomsburg within a point (45-44) with 8:35 to go and Morgan Klunk (Felton/York Catholic) brought the Nelson Field House fans to their feet with a 3-pointer for a 47-45 lead at the 7:38 mark. Brittany Batts answered with a trey of her own for Gannon on the other end, however, and made the lead two with a free throw on the next possession.

Another long range shot from Klunk swayed the momentum back in Bloomsburg's favor with a 50-49 edge and the lead would change hands four times over the next 90 seconds. The Huskies then held the lead for the next four minutes, leading by as much as four following a 3-pointer by Noack for a 63-59 advantage and just 1:55 to go.

Layups by Papich and Blake tied the game at 63 with 38 seconds showing on the clock. Blake then pulled down a key defensive rebound following a missed shot attempt, setting the stage for Papich's heroics following a Gannon timeout. The game-winning basket was a contested shot, coming off a spin move in the lane through Huskies defenders. A last second heave from the Huskies missed, allowing Gannon to escape with the win.

Bloomsburg held Gannon to season lows in points and 3-point percentage at just over 26 percent (5-19). The Golden Knights entered the day averaging over 81 points per game through their first 11 contests. The Huskies held Gannon to just over 36 percent shooting from the floor (20-55), well off its season average of over 45 percent.

Klunk turned in a career day as the freshman recorded 14 points, her best scoring performance in maroon and gold. Noack led Bloomsburg for the seventh time this year in scoring with 15 points and Adreana Sadowski (Fleetwood/Brandywine Heights) added 14 points, eight rebounds and a career-best four blocks.

Papich led all scorers with 18 points along with five assists and Batts registered 12 points.

The Huskies are off until Jan. 3 when they host Clarion in another PSAC crossover contest.

GAME NOTES: The two teams were even in the paint, each scoring 28 points … Bloomsburg had a season-high six blocks and shot a season-best 50 percent (7-14) from beyond the arc … the game was a re-match of last year's conference title game which Bloomsburg won, 74-57, on March 9 … the lead changed 15 times Saturday and the teams shared six ties.