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INDIANA, Pa. – The Bloomsburg women's basketball team (10-3) used a 16-3 run over the final minutes and a career-high 20 points from Jocelyn Ford (Lansing, NY/Lansing) to break open a back-and-forth contest and come away from the Kovalchick Athletic Complex with a 74-62 upset victory over 20th-ranked IUP (11-2) on Wednesday evening.
 
Ford ignited the game-changing burst with a layup to tie the score at 54 with 6:31 to play. A traditional three-point play from Adreana Sadowski (Fleetwood/Brandywine Heights) on the next possession following an IUP turnover gave the Huskies a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
 
Bloomsburg used a team effort throughout the final minutes as it did during the entire game. Ford, Sadowski, Marla Simmons (Lebanon/Cedar Crest), Brianna Dudeck (Sugarloaf/Hazleton), Maggie Borski (Philadelphia/Nazareth Academy) and Morgan Klunk (Felton/York Catholic) all posted points while the Huskies stretched their lead to double digits for the first time at 68-57 on free throws from Klunk with 2:02 remaining to firmly seize control.  
 
Prior to Bloomsburg's game-ending run, the two teams matched each other nearly shot for shot for over 30 minutes. IUP held a slim lead through the opening minutes, but it was the Huskies who grabbed a slim advantage through the majority of the first half. Bloomsburg stretched its lead to six at 27-21 early following a layup from Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty).
 
Nikki Tamanosky (Camp Hill/Cumberland Valley) gave the Huskies a boost off the bench during the first period, scoring six points with five rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes to help keep Bloomsburg ahead. Things remained tight through the first 20 minutes with Bloomsburg taking a 30-28 lead into the break. For IUP, it was the first time the Crimson Hawks headed to the locker room trailing at intermission all season.
 
IUP came out of halftime with the first two scores of the second half as baskets from Leslie Stapleton and Lindsay Stamp put the Crimson Hawks up, 32-30. Free throws from Simmons tied the game again two and a half minutes into the period and the score remained within a spread of three points for the next three and a half minutes. An offensive rebound from Noack led to a layup from Sadowski to push Bloomsburg ahead by five once more, 40-35, and led IUP to call for time.
 
The Crimson Hawks hit the floor following the timeout with an immediate 3-pointer from Stamp, a steal and a layup from the standout junior to tie the score at 40 with 12:12 to go.
 
Bloomsburg scored the next five points for a 45-40 lead and pushed the lead to 47-41 following a jumper from Ford, who would score six straight points to give the Huskies a 51-47 edge with 8:14 remaining.
 
Stamp again led the Crimson Hawks back, however, putting the hosts ahead once more (54-52) on a traditional 3-point play before Ford answered on the opposite end for the tie at 54 and 6:31 to go. The Huskies would then take the lead on the three-point play from Sadowski and never looked back.
 
Klunk poured in 12 points while Noack had 11 to give Bloomsburg three players in double-figure scoring. Sadowski added nine points and Tamanosky finished with eight points and six boards.
 
Stamp was electric for IUP, delivering a game-high 28 points and seven rebounds and IUP also received 14 points from Stapleton.
 
Both teams struggled with cold shooting early as Bloomsburg went 12-of-32 from the floor for 37.5 percent in the first half while IUP mustered just 9-of-29 for 31 percent. Bloomsburg came alive in the second half, however, connecting on over 56 percent of its field goal attempts (13-23) in the final period while holding IUP to just 32.8 percent (20-61) for the game.
 
Bloomsburg returns to action at home on Saturday for its final non-conference game of the year vs. Philadelphia University at Nelson Field House. That contest is slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
 
GAME NOTES: It is the first victory for Bloomsburg over a nationally-ranked opponent since defeating No. 18 Edinboro and No. 7 Gannon in back-to-back games in last year's PSAC Final Four … Ford's previous career-high in scoring was 16, set twice this season … Dudeck tallied a career-high three blocks … Borski had a team-best six assists ... Wednesday marks just the sixth loss for IUP at the Kovalchick Complex. IUP is 26-6 in two-plus seasons in its home building … Wednesday's game was a re-match of last year's NCAA Atlantic Regional first round game. IUP scored NCAA Tournament wins over Bloomsburg in 2012 and 2013 … Noack now has 986 career points … The 74 points scored by Bloomsburg mark the most allowed by IUP all season. IUP entered the game allowing a PSAC-best 55.5 ppg … Bloomsburg finishes crossover play with a 5-1 record vs. Western Division teams.