Box Score Box Score (HTML)

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The 20th-ranked Bloomsburg University women's basketball team overcame foul trouble and tight defense from East Stroudsburg to win its 13th straight game, 61-48, at ESU's Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Huskies (20-3, 11-2 PSAC East) never trailed on Saturday en route to securing a season sweep over East Stroudsburg (13-11, 8-6). Bloomsburg is the first PSAC East team to win at Koehler Fieldhouse this season.
 
Bloomsburg opened the game with a 9-2 lead, but ESU scored eight of the next 12 points to close within three at the 12:43 mark. The differential remained within four points for the next eight minutes before a pair of free throws from Brianna Dudeck (Sugarloaf/Hazleton) gave Bloomsburg a 24-19 edge with 4:15 left in the half. The Warriors immediately pulled within 24-21 on a layup by Kelsey Murray on the next possession.
 
A traditional 3-point play from Dudeck gave the Huskies a 29-22 lead with 2:25 remaining in the period and, following a Tyeca Reviere layup for ESU, Jocelyn Ford (Lansing, NY/Lansing) drained a 3-pointer to make the lead 32-24. A layup from Lauren Nealon (Ambler/Archbishop Wood) preceded ESU splitting a pair at the line to send the teams into halftime with Bloomsburg leading 34-27.
 
Dudeck opened the second half with a steal leading to a Marla Simmons (Lebanon/Cedar Crest) layup and following an ESU miss, Sadowski posted a basket to make the lead double digits for the first time at 38-27.
 
Foul trouble held the Huskies back throughout, however. Three starters – Ford, Simmons and Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty) all had three fouls before the second media timeout of the second half with Ford and Simmons picking up four fouls by the 12:00 mark.
 
With nearly all of the starting lineup on the bench due to foul trouble, the Huskies reserves stepped up. Two layups from Taylor Kaminski (Philadelphia/Archbishop Wood) and a long 3-pointer from Nealon gave the Huskies a 16-point edge at 50-34 with 9:45 to play.
 
Bloomsburg's lead remained in double digits until the 3:34 mark when Ryann Fiascki knocked in a pair of free throws to cut the margin to 56-48. Another Kaminski lay-in made the lead 10 again at 58-48 on the next Bloomsburg possession.
 
Another Huskies foul sent ESU to the line, but the Warriors could not convert and Ford then drilled a 3-pointer from in front of her own bench for the dagger and a 61-48 lead.
 
Defense had its day on Saturday as neither team found their shooting touch – Bloomsburg finished at 35.2 percent from the floor (19-of-54) while ESU was at 34.7 percent (17-49), including just 24.1 percent during the second half (7-29). The two teams combined for 47 turnovers, with Bloomsburg forcing 26 ESU miscues, which resulted in 19 points for BU.
 
Dudeck delivered a tremendous performance on the defensive end of the court, forcing seven steals while creating pressure on the Warriors throughout the afternoon.
 
All nine Huskies to play on Saturday worked into the scoring column, led by Ford's 13 points and four assists. Sadowski added nine points and three blocks while Kaminski and Nealon each added eight points apiece off the bench.
 
Allison Howard led the Warriors with 10 points.
 
Bloomsburg will host West Chester on Wednesday night at Nelson Field House at 5:30 p.m. in a battle for first-place in the PSAC East. West Chester lost to Shippensburg on Saturday, 95-80, to fall to 12-2 in the conference.
 
GAME NOTES: The Huskies secured their fourth straight 20-win season … Dudeck's seven steals were a new career-high ... Kaminski set career highs in points and minutes (19) … Bloomsburg has won 10 straight games against ESU, sweeping the season series for the fifth consecutive year … Along with their 13-game winning streak the Huskies have won 15 of their past 16 games … Noack scored for the 80th consecutive game … the Huskies have held opponents to under 50 points four times this season.