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BLOOMSBURG - The Bloomsburg men's basketball team begins its quest for a PSAC Championship when it hosts Kutztown on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip at Nelson Field House in the first round of the conference tournament. The Huskies will be seeking revenge for a pair of regular season setbacks vs. the Golden Bears, including Wednesday night at the same venue. The winner of Saturday's game advances to play at second-seeded West Chester (18-8, 11-5) which, along with top-seeded East Stroudsburg, has the benefit of a first round bye.

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SCOUTING KUTZTOWN
Kutztown finished the regular season with back-to-back wins, defeating Shippensburg, 87-80, at home last Saturday before dropping Bloomsburg, 73-64, on Wednesday. The Golden Bears have not won three straight games at any point this season, but have an opportunity to do so with a win in the PSAC First Round.

Kutztown is a young team, led by freshman Josh Johnson who has won PSAC East Freshman of the Week honors two weeks in a row and four times this season. He averaged 19 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks last week.

In all, Kutztown boasts nine freshmen along with only two sophomores, three juniors and one senior - guard Tyler Brooks. Head coach Bernie Driscoll is in his 14th season at the helm and is the winningest coach in Kutztown history with over 200 wins.

The Golden Bears rank 12th in the PSAC in scoring offense at 70.8 ppg and 13th in defense, allowing 74.9 ppg.

In the first meeting of the year, Kutztown rallied from a 28-7 deficit to begin the game for a 72-61 win over the Huskies. The Golden Bears used another ferocious run to take over Wednesday's game as well - KU unleashed a 34-6 blitz over a 13-minute span to overcome a double digit deficit and seize control of the game. Freshman Martin Dietrich scored a career-high 18 points and tallied as many 3-pointers (5) as he had all season to that point.

THE BLOOMSBURG-KUTZTOWN SERIES
Bloomsburg leads 106-51
Bloomsburg will be very happy to play Kutztown at home as they have had much success against the Golden Bears at Nelson Field House, including an 85-80 overtime win on Feb. 23, 2013. The story has been different on the road, where the Huskies have lost 12 straight at Kutztown's Keystone Arena, including 72-61 setback on Jan. 25.

TWEETABLES (Huskies facts in 140 characters or less)
-The winner of Saturday's game will play at West Chester at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.

-Bloomsburg and Kutztown have not met in the PSAC Tournament since 1987 when KU won, 70-62, in the quarterfinals.

-Senior Dontahe Jordan (Williamsport/Williamsport) turned in his eighth double-double of the year on Wednesday.

-Jordan leads the team on the offensive boards this year with 51, averaging 2.6 offensive rebounds per game.

-Jordan also leads the Huskies in scoring vs. Kutztown this year, averaging 14.5 points in two games.

-Kutztown is shooting 50 percent in the season series vs. BU.

-Jon Riles (Philadelphia/Academy of the New Church) has handed out four or more assists 11 times this year.

-Charles Haigler (Charles Town, WV/Hargrave Military Academy) recorded his first career double-double at Mansfield on Saturday.

-Haigler's 10 rebounds were also a career-high for the sophomore.

-The Huskies will enjoy being home for the first round of the PSAC Tournament: They are 10-4 at home compared to 5-7 on the road.

-Bloomsburg is 14-5 when shooting more free throws than their opponents this year.

-Kutztown shot 57 percent from the floor on Wednesday (27-47), the first time an opponent has shot over 50 percent vs. BU this year.

PLAYOFF DROUGHTS
Bloomsburg will attempt to win its first PSAC Tournament game since defeating West Chester, 60-54, in the 2002 quarterfinals. The Huskies have lost their past three consecutive playoff games, dropping the 2002 semifinal matchup with California (PA), 68-66, and then did not return to the conference tournament until 2012. This year marks the third straight postseason appearance for Bloomsburg and will the Huskies look to avenge quarterfinal losses in each of the past two seasons to West Chester in 2012 at home and Mansfield last year on the road.

Kutztown has not won a playoff game since the 2009-10 season and will look to snap that drought on Saturday. KU went 25-6 that season, reaching the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament.

THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM?
The last time Kutztown beat a team three times in a season was during the 2008-09 campaign when it defeated Mansfield three straight times including a 97-86 victory in the PSAC Quarterfinals.

HALL MONITOR
Senior Ed Hall (Washington, DC/Paint Branch) made the most of his final regular season home game on Wednesday night, scoring a season-high 14 points. It was his first double-figure scoring effort since scoring 10 points at Shippensburg on Dec. 7.

WEST CHESTER AWAITS
The winner of Saturday's game will travel to play at second-seeded West Chester on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Bloomsburg split the season series with West Chester, winning 77-76 at Hollinger Field House in January before dropping an 81-68 decision on Feb. 19. Kutztown also split its season series with West Chester, winning 73-70 on Feb. 8 after losing at home, 85-71, on Dec. 7.