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CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University women's basketball team fought until the final buzzer in overtime in Monday's Atlantic Regional Championship Game, but fell in the waning seconds, 72-69, to host California (PA) at Hamer Hall.

Marla Simmons (Lebanon/Cedar Crest) powered the Huskies with 19 points and four rebounds with Jocelyn Ford (Lansing, NY/Lansing) totaling 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists while playing 44 minutes. Erica Maciejewski (Red Lion/Red Lion) posted nine points and nine rebounds and Adreana Sadowski (Fleetwood/Brandywine Heights) also finished with nine points.

Top-seeded and No. 14 nationally ranked California moves to 28-4 on the year while No. 15 Bloomsburg, the third seed in the region, finishes its season at 26-5.

Bloomsburg controlled the early tempo, but like in Saturday's regional semifinal win, the Huskies did not follow a typical blueprint for success. Sadowski was forced to sit less than two minutes into the game with two fouls and did not play again the rest of the first half.

With Sadowski out, the Huskies soared early anyway, building a 20-9 lead at the 8:56 mark behind the leadership of senior Marla Simmons (Lebanon/Cedar Crest) who buried two quick 3-pointers on the left wing.

The large crowd of Vulcans faithful soon had something to finally cheer about, though, as the hosts embarked on an 18-4 run to surge ahead, 27-24, with 2:36 left in the half.

A runner in the lane from Taylor Maldonado (Stroudsburg/Allentown Central Catholic) ended the Huskies drought and her shot at the foul line later in the final minute sent the teams to intermission tied, 27-27.

Bloomsburg grabbed the early second half edge, 31-27, following a 3-pointer from  Ford, but foul trouble just continued to mount. Before the first media timeout of the half, three Huskies starters were forced to the bench – Sadowski and Morgan Klunk (Felton/York Catholic) in the first three minutes and then Simmons joined them on the bench following her third foul at the 16:26 mark.

The Vulcans took full advantage of the Huskies' foul struggles, breaking off a 13-2 run for a 40-33 cushion, their largest of the game just over two minutes after Simmons' third foul.

In spite of their troubles, Bloomsburg battled back. The Huskies quickly led again, 43-42, following a one-hander underneath from Ford and a pair of free throws from Klunk.

That started a furious back-and-forth over the final minutes as the teams shared 10 ties and exchanged the lead 13 times during the contest, though foul trouble continued to plague Bloomsburg as four Huskies starters had four fouls before the final media timeout.

The Huskies seized a 51-47 edge when Ford had her 3-point attempt blocked, only to retrieve the loose ball and sink and even deeper 3-point try as the shot clock expired with 6:31 showing on the clock.

The pendulum continued to swing from side to the other as the minutes ticked away. With 1:13 to go, Erica Maciejewski (Red Lion/Red Lion) was called for her fifth foul on the offensive end, giving Cal the ball where Miki Glenn put one off the glass and in for a 63-61 lead with 48 seconds remaining.

On the next trip down the floor, Simmons calmly sank a step-back shot just inside the arc for the 63-63 tie and 35 seconds to play.

Sadowski swatted a Vulcans shot attempt on the next defensive possession, but the ball bounced out of bounds to remain with Cal. Then, a steal by Ford gave the Huskies the ball with just over five seconds to go, but the following inbounds pass went out of bounds, giving Cal an opportunity to end it in regulation. The Vulcans could not get a shot off, however, sending the game to overtime.

Bloomsburg led early in the extra period, 67-63, after Ford found Sadowski underneath the basket for her second layup of the overtime and 2:24 remaining.

Irina Kukolj answered for Cal on its next trip and a defensive stop gave the ball to Kaitlynn Fratz who nearly brought the roof off the building with her 3-pointer and a 68-67 Vulcans advantage.

Simmons again gave the Huskies life, putting in a layup for a 69-68 lead and 1:24 to go. Kukolj missed a layup effort on the next possession for the Vulcans, but got her own rebound and her put-back made it 70-69 score.

A Bloomsburg turnover gave the ball to California and Glenn put an exclamation point on her tremendous play the past 10 days with a runner for a 72-69 score.

The Huskies had one final chance with just over 10 seconds to go, but a 3-pointer from Simmons hit off the front iron as time expired.

"We worked around different substitution patterns. We adjusted well," Bloomsburg University head coach Bill Cleary said of his team continuing to battle despite foul trouble. "We would like to congratulate California University of Pennsylvania and wish them the best of luck in the Elite Eight."

Glenn, who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, finished with a game-high 23 points for Cal U and played all 45 minutes. Fratz netted 20 and Kukolj delivered 17. 

With the win, Cal will advance to the Elite Eight to play the South Region champion in Sioux Falls, S.D. next week.

For the Huskies, they will say goodbye to six senior members of the program who will graduate this spring.

"The seniors have dedicated themselves to the program since they stepped on campus," Cleary said. "I feel very lucky to have coached these young ladies during their time at Bloomsburg."

GAME NOTES: Ford and Simmons were both named to the Atlantic Region All-Tournament team. Ford was also named to the All-Tournament Team last year ... It marked the first time a PSAC East team has appeared in a regional final in back-to-back years ... The Huskies won the battle of the boards, 41-38, and lost for the first time this year when leading in rebounding ... Bloomsburg shot 43.6 percent for the game (24-of-55) and Cal finished at 37.3 percent (25-of-67) ... Bloomsburg also appeared in the regional final in 1989, 1998, 2001 and 2014 ... The Huskies have 102 wins over past four years, making it the winningest four-year period in school history ... Only one Huskies team has won more games than this year's 26 – the 1988-89 squad that finished with 28.