BLOOMSBURG (2-2, 0-2 PSAC East) at WILMINGTON (3-1, 0-0 CACC)
Saturday, November 26, 2016 - 3:00 p.m.
Wilmington, Del. | Athletics Complex

GAME NOTES:
Bloomsburg at Wilmington Game Notes

GAME COVERAGE:
Live Stats: http://athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/mbkb/2016-17/boxscores/20161126_3b5x.xml
Live Audio (WHLM-AM): http://www.whlmam.com

RELATED LINKS:
Bloomsburg - Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Wilmington - Roster | Schedule | Statistics

LAST WEEKEND ...
The Huskies dropped a pair of heartbreaking contests against PSAC Western Division foes, Pitt-Johnstown and IUP, last Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday against Pitt-Johnstown, Bloomsburg held a 70-69 lead until the Mountain Cats scored with 1.3 seconds left in regulation to knock off the Huskies, 71-70. Junior Alex Prislupsky (Olyphant, Pa./Mid-Valley) led the Huskies with a career-high 19 points. Then, on Sunday, IUP snapped a 61-61 tie on a field goal with ten seconds left in regulation to lift the 24th-ranked Crimson Hawks to a 63-61 victory over the Huskies. Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) poured in a game-high, and a season-high, 28 points in the loss.

STARTING FIVE ...
1 - Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) has picked up where he left off as he is averaging 20.3 points in the first four games of the season. However, he scored just eight points in the loss to Pitt-Johnstown last Saturday - only the second time in his last 42 games that he has failed to reach double figures. Against IUP on Sunday, he bounced back with a season-high 28 points. He has hit 15-of-32 from three-point range this season and has moved into fifth on the school's all-time list with 132 career triples. He also needs just 48 points to become the 29th player in school history to reach 1,000.

2 - Junior Alex Prislupsky (Olyphant, Pa./Mid-Valley) has had a fast start to the season and is providing some scoring punch off of the Huskies' bench. After sitting out the opener at Penn State Hazleton, Prislupsky is averaging 11.7 points in his three games which ranks second on the team to Mortellite. Prislupsky scored a career-high 19 points in the loss to Pitt-Johnstown which included a career-high tying five triples. He is shooting 56.5% from the field and 7-of-15 from long range. He also leads the team in steals per game (2.0).

3 - Transfers Karonn Davis (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends' Central (Niagara Univ.)) and Carnell McGirt (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic (Valley Forge Military Academy)) have made immediate impacts through the first two games of the season. After transferring from Niagara University, Davis ranks third on the team in scoring (9.8) and leads the team in assists (5.0). He has made 8-of-9 foul shots (88.9%). McGirt, meanwhile, posted a double-double (11pts, 10reb) in his first game at Penn State Hazleton and then added 14 points and eight boards against Lincoln. He is averaging 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds through four games.

4 - After averaging only 3.8 points and 3.0 rebounds last season, junior Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School (Highland CC)) has stepped into the starting lineup this season and has hit double figures in scoring three times after hitting the mark only twice all of last season. He posted the first double-double of his Bloomsburg career against Pitt-Johnstown with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 boards through four games.

5 - In each of the first two games, Bloomsburg has had five players reach double figures in scoring. Mortellite (20), Davis (14), Rose (12), McGirt (11), and Khyree Hunt-Hawkins (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington (Baltimore City CC)) (11) each hit double digits at Penn State Hazleton to start the season. Mortellite (25), Davis (15), McGirt (14), Sneed (12), and Rose (11) turned the trick against Lincoln. The Huskies had five players hit double figures in a game only twice all of last season.

THE SERIES ...
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Wilmington University, 5-3.

LAST MEETING AGAINST WILMINGTON ...
The two teams played last season, on November 24, 2015, at Nelson Field House with the Wildcats knocking off the Huskies, 81-78. Bloomsburg led by four at intermission, 39-35, but allowed 46 second-half points to Wilmingtonen route to the three-point loss. Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) gave the Huskies a one-point lead, 78-77, on a three-pointer with 48 seconds left in regulation. However, Tyaire Ponzo-Meek converted a layup with 22 seconds left to give the Wildcats the lead. He added a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining for the final margin of victory. Mortellite led the Huskies with 26 points but was just 9-of-25 from the field. Tyriek Steward (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Elmer Meyers) was the only other player in double figures as he chipped in with 11. Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School (Highland CC)) pulled down a team-high ten rebounds and blocked a career-high six shots. Ponzo-Meek led the Wildcats with 24 points while Ta'Vaune Griffin had 22 points and 16 rebounds. Wilmington outrebounded Bloomsburg, 50-36.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS ...
Wilmington enters the matchup with a 3-1 overall record but lost its last time out, 88-73, at Morgan State on Thursday, November 17. The Wildcats started the season with wins over NYIT (75-70), at LIU Post (83-77), and against Pace (75-65). Wilmington averages 76.5 points per game on offense but is shooting just 37.3% from the field through the first four games. Tyaire Ponzo-Meek is back and paces the team in scoring by averaging 19.5 points per game. He is also second on the team in rebounding (7.3) and is tied for the team lead in assists (2.8). Nick Richards is second on the team in scoring (17.5) and is shooting a team-high 48.2% from the field. Richards is third in rebounding (6.5) and is tied with Ponzo-Meek for the team lead in assists (2.8). From the bench, keep an eye on Tajee Almon - especially on the defensive end. While he averages 6.8 points per game, he leads the team in blocks (1.8) and is tied for second in steals (1.3).

DOWNTOWN WITH THE HUSKIES ...
The Huskies have made at least one three-pointer in 158 consecutive games. The last time Bloomsburg did not make a three in a game was on December 4, 2010 in a 54-51 loss at Lock Haven when it went 0-7 from beyond the arc. Bloomsburg has made ten three-pointers in a game twice this season - at Penn State Hazleton (10-of-21) and against Pitt-Johnstown (10-of-24). The Huskies made ten three-pointers in a game just one time last season - an 85-59 home victory against Millersville on February 17, 2016 (10-of-17).

CLOSING IN ...
Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) is closing in on becoming the 29th player in school history to record 1,000 career points. The sharpshooter scored 36 points in two games last weekend to move to within 48 points of reaching the milestone. He has also moved into sole possession of fifth place on the school's all-time career three-pointers list with 132. He surpassed Aaron Carter and Mike Cheatle with four triples in the win over Lincoln on November 15. He has a ways to go to get to fourth as Jay DeShields currently holds that spot with 205 career three-pointers.

LONG RANGE ...
Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) and junior Alex Prislupsky (Olyphant, Pa./Mid-Valley) are off to hot starts from three-point range this season. Mortellite leads the PSAC in total three pointers (15) and is second in threes per game (3.8). He is 15-of-32 (46.9%) from deep this season. Prislupsky, meanwhile, tied a career-high with five threes against Pitt-Johnstown and is 7-of-15 (46.7%) from beyond the arc. However, if you take away the duo's numbers, the rest of the team is only 9-of-33 from long range (27.2%).

BALANCED SCORING ...
In each of the first two games, five Huskies reached double figures in scoring - something that happened only twice all of last season. Bloomsburg had four reach double figures against Pitt-Johnstown last Saturday and three against IUP last Sunday. All told, the Huskies have seven players averaging at least 7.5 points per game through the first four contests.

MORTELLITE NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE ...
Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) was named a preseason All- PSAC East selection after enjoying a breakout campaign with the Huskies a year ago. Mortellite was a First Team All-PSAC East performer after leading all Eastern Division players, and finishing fifth overall in the conference, in scoring (19.0 points per game). He was the only Bloomsburg player to finish in double figures in scoring last season and he also ranked second on the team in rebounding (6.0) and assists (2.2).

STRONG SEASON ...
The Huskies finished last season with a 17-10 overall record and a 15-7 mark in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Huskies won ten of their final twelve games during the regular season but suffered a last-second 80-78 loss at Shippensburg in the opening round of the PSAC tournament to end the season. Last year's 17 victories marked the second-highest single-season total under Sanow, who is entering his 11th season with the Huskies. Bloomsburg went 19-9 under Sanow during the 2011-12 campaign. Meanwhile, the Huskies' 15-7 conference record tied Sanow's 2011-12 squad for the best league record under his tutelage.

SANOW SECOND IN CAREER WINS AT BU...
Head coach John Sanow is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Bloomsburg men's basketball program and has guided the Huskies to a 120-151 overall record to date - second in Bloomsburg history among career wins. Bloomsburg's 91-84 win at East Stroudsburg on January 30 was #113, which moved him ahead of Harold S. Shelly who won 112 games with the Huskies from 1949- 1960. However, Sanow has a long time to catch the program's all-time leader, Charlie Chronister, who compiled 559 victores from 1971-2002.

UP NEXT ...
Bloomsburg makes the trip to Erie, Pennsylvania next Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4 to square off against Mercyhurst and Gannon respectively. Both start times are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The Huskies have not had much success against either team - Bloomsburg is 1-9 lifetime against the Lakers and only 2-9 against the Golden Knights.