RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday night, dropping a 57-54 decision at Felician University. The Huskies dropped to 1-1 on the season while the Golden Falcons start their season with a 1-0 mark.
 
Both teams struggled from the floor on Saturday night with Bloomsburg shooting just 18-of-55 from the field (32.7%). Felician was not much better, knocking down 19 of its 51 shot attempts for a 37.3% shooting percentage.
 
The game was close throughout with Bloomsburg building its biggest advantage, a five-point lead, with 2:54 left in the first half. The Golden Falcons led by as many as eight with 9:13 left in regulation. There were 11 ties and 14 lead changes during the contest.
 
Felician led 26-25 at halftime, scoring the final six points of the half to take a one-point lead to the locker room. After senior Charles Haigler (Charles Town, WV/Hargrave Military Academy) hit a pair of free throws with 2:54 left, Bloomsburg went quiet. The Huskies missed a pair of shots and turned the ball over four times to end the opening twenty minutes as the Golden Falcons hit a pair of shots and two free throws to take the slim lead.
 
Bloomsburg started cold again in the second half, getting its first points from junior Donell Diggs (Washington, D.C./Takoma Academy) on a jump shot nearly three minutes in. Midway through the second half, Felician built  its largest lead of the game, 45-37, putting together an 11-3 run. But, the Huskies rallied, going on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 46-45 lead with 6:27 left.
 
After Felician's Jeyvi Miavivululu knocked down a jumper, redshirt sophomore Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) hit a triple to put the Huskies ahead by two at 49-47 with 5:50 left. Miavivululu and Jamal Reid scored Felician's next eight points, with the Huskies only getting a pair of free throws from sophomore Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, DE/Sanford School), as Felician jumped in front 55-51 with 2:38 left. Mortellite hit another three-pointer to cut the lead to one, 55-54, with 1:35 left, but those would be the final points for Bloomsburg on the night.
 
Diggs and Mortellite led the Huskies with 12 points apiece. Diggs was 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line while also adding two assists and two boards. Mortellite did his damage in just 15 minutes off of the Bloomsburg bench. Junior Malik Sneed (Washington, D.C./Spingarn) led the Huskies with seven rebounds.
 
Haigler, who scored a team-high 20 points in Friday's 30-point win over Penn State Hazleton, was held to just three points on Saturday after going 0-for-6 from the field and 3-of-4 at the line. He did, however, have five rebounds and two assists.
 
Reid led three Golden Falcons in double figures with a game-high 18 points.
 
Bloomsburg will return to action on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, when it opens Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. The Huskies will travel to Seton Hill on Saturday and then will be at California (PA) on Sunday. Both tip-offs are slated for 3:00 p.m.