BLOOMSBURG (1-12, 0-9 PSAC East) vs MANSFIELD (3-10, 1-8 PSAC East)
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 - 7:30 p.m.
Bloomsburg, Pa. | Nelson Field House

GAME NOTES:
Bloomsburg vs Mansfield Game Notes

GAME COVERAGE:
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/bloomu/wbball/
Live Audio (WHLM): http://www.whlm.com

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

LAST TIME OUT ...
Bloomsburg hung with PSAC West-leading Edinboro on Monday night but the Huskies' upset bid fell short, 63-55, at the Nelson Field House. The Huskies led, 5-2, at the outset but never led again after Edinboro went on a 10-2 run shortly thereafter. Bloomsburg, however, never trailed by more than six points until early in the third quarter and kept the Fighting Scots in their sights until the visitors built up a 13-point advantage with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the Huskies with a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Senior Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) (11) and sophomore Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) (10) were also in double figures for Bloomsburg. Michaela Barnes paced Edinboro with 15 points in the victory.

STARTING FIVE ...
1 - Points have been tough to come by this season. Bloomsburg is 17th in the PSAC, and 295th in the country, in points per game (53.6). Only Cheyney is averaging fewer points (49.7) in the PSAC. The Huskies have been held to under 60 points in 10 of the 13 games this season - they scored 61 against Georgian Court in their only win of the season and then scored 63 (seven in overtime) in a loss at Gannon. They posted a season-high 67 points at West Chester on December 30. The Huskies are 14th in the league in field goal percentage (37.6%), tied for 15th in three-point percentage (26.8%), and 15th in free throw shooting (63.4%).

2 - On the flip side, the Huskies are, however, ranked seventh in the conference in scoring defense (64.6) and have limited opponents to under 70 points in a game nine times. Bloomsburg is in the top ten in the PSAC in opponents' field goal percentage (39.5%) and opponents' three-point percentage (27.5%). The Huskies are also second in the conference in blocked shots per game (5.2), which has them 12th in the country in that department.

3 - Sophomore Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) is developing into a solid contributor at point guard for the Huskies. Sneidman has started each of the last four games for Bloomsburg and is averaging 33.0 minutes in those four starts. In her first 26 career games with the Huskies, Sneidman scored a total of seven points on 2-of-31 from the field and 0-for-18 from long range. However, the slow start to her career is long gone - in her last five games, Sneidman is averaging 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. She has also gone 13-of-29 (44.8%) from the field and 5-of-9 (55.6%) from long range during the stretch.

4 - Senior Morgan Klunk (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) is tops on the team in nearly every statistical category this season. She leads the team in scoring (11.2), rebounding (5.6), assists (2.7), and steals (2.0). Klunk has moved into 12th place on the school's all-time list for career assists with 258. She needs 20 helpers to tie Dana Wieller (2009-13) for 11th on the list. Klunk also needs 108 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone for her career.

5 - The Huskies have a very young roster that features only two seniors - Morgan Klunk (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) and Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) - and no juniors. The rest of the 12-player roster is comprised of five sophomores, one redshirt freshman, and four true freshmen. One of the sophomores, Allie Barber (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area), joins the team for the first time this season. Barber was an All-PSAC Second Team selection and an NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) All-Atlantic Region Third Team honoree for the Huskies' women's soccer team this fall.

THE SERIES ...
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Mansfield, 60-9.

LAST MEETING AGAINST MANSFIELD ...
Bloomsburg led, 55-42, after three quarters before getting outscored, 23-6, in the fourth quarter as the Mountaineers came from behind to edge the Huskies, 65-61, in Mansfield on February 6, 2016. The Huskies went 3-for-11 from the field in the fourth quarter and turned the ball over seven times to enable the comeback. Adreana Sadowski (Fleetwood/Brandywine Heights) led the Huskies with 20 points and eight rebounds while Julia Gantz (Havertown/Archbishop John Carroll) chipped in 15 points. Katie Fitzpatrick paced Mansfield with 20 points and seven rebounds. Brielle Kelly (17) and Becky Evans (17) were also in double figures.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS ...
Mansfield is 3-10 overall and 1-8 in the PSAC Eastern Division under first-year head coach, Michael Whitling. Whitling replaced Alison Tagliaferri who is in her first season at Bloomsburg. The Mountaineers have lost five of their last six games, including a 75-47 setback against Shippensburg on Monday night. Mansfield is 15th in the PSAC in scoring offense (58.1) and 12th in the league in scoring defense (69.5). Like the Huskies, Mansfield is also near the bottom in all three shooting categories - 16th in field goal percentage (36.9%), 12th in three-point percentage (28.0%), and 14th in free-throw percentage (65.2%). Brielle Kelly leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 13.2 points per game. She is also tops on the squad in rebounding (7.5) and tied for second in blocked shots (0.8). Tianna Jackson is also in double digits in scoring as she averages 11.0 points per contest. Jackson leads the team in assists (2.8) and is second in steals (1.1). Mary Kate Rumbaugh (6.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Alyssa Mullins (5.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), and Melanie Taylor (5.2 ppg) also, normally, round out the starting five.

LOW SCORING ...
Bloomsburg comes into the contest having scored more than 60 points in a game only three times this season (61 at Georgian Court on November 26; 63 (seven in OT) at Gannon on December 4; and 67 at West Chester on December 30) and is averaging only 53.6 points per game - 17th in the PSAC and 295th in the country. The Huskies average more points than only Cheyney (49.7) in the PSAC. The Huskies have shot better than 40% in a game six times this season and are 14th in the PSAC at 37.6% on the year. However, the Huskies' defense has allowed 70 or more points in a game only four times and allow only 64.6 points per game to their opponents. That figure is the seventh-best in the PSAC.

BLOCK PARTY ...
The Huskies are second in the conference, and 12th in the country, in blocked shots per game (5.2). The Huskies have blocked at least four shots in 10 of the 13 games and have blocked ten shots in a game twice - against Chestnut Hill on November 22 and at Philadelphia on November 27. Freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) is tied for fourth in the PSAC in blocks (1.5) while senior Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) is tied for ninth in the league (1.3). Freshman Meghan Corridoni (Exeter, Pa./Holy Redeemer) is tied for 11th as she averages 1.1 blocks per game. The Huskies have five players ranked in the top 45 in the conference in blocked shots. Montana, Ross, and Corridoni have combined for 50 of the team's 67 blocks.

STRUGGLING FROM DEEP ...
Bloomsburg enters the game having made only 51 three-pointers in 13 games this season (3.9 per game). The Huskies are tied for 14th in the league in triples made per game and tied for 15th in the PSAC in three-point shooting percentage (26.8%). Sophomore Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) hit all five of Bloomsburg's three-pointers against Cheyney just over a week ago and has accounted for 23 of the team's 51 three-pointers. Sophomore Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) is second with 11.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP ...
With only two seniors and no juniors entering the season, a lot of focus has been on the lone upperclassmen - Morgan Klunk (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) and Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township). Klunk has been a mainstay on the floor as she leads the team in minutes played per game (32.2). She is tops on the team in scoring (11.2), rebounds (5.6), assists (2.7), and steals (2.0). She posted her first double-double of the season, and fourth of her career, with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the Huskies' 61-41 win at Georgian Court. Klunk has moved into 12th place on the school's all-time career assists list with 258 and she needs 108 points to reach the 1,000-career point milestone. Ross has also done some of everything for the Huskies as she is third on the team in scoring (7.7), tied for second in rebounding (5.2), third in assists (2.1), second in blocks (1.3), and second in steals (1.3). Ross is four blocks shy of moving into the top 15 on the school's list for career blocked shots.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP ...
Four sophomores that saw decent playing time last season have stepped up their roles this year. Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), who averaged 7.1 points per game last season, is up to 10.5 points per game this season, which is second on the team. She is also second in assists (2.2) and leads the team in three-pointers (23). Casey Warley (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) has started ten games this season and, after averaging only 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds a year ago, is up to 4.7 points and 3.0 boards this season. She posted career-highs in points (11) and rebounds (8) at West Chester on December 30. Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has also increased from 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds to 4.2 and 1.7, respectively, this season. She tied a career-high with 11 points, and grabbed a career-best five rebounds, at Mercyhurst on December 3. She is second on the team with 11 three-pointers. Finally, Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored only seven points in 21 games last season but is averaging 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this season - 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists over her last five games.

UP NEXT ...
Bloomsburg will return home on Saturday, January 14 when it entertains Millersville University at the Nelson Field House. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Huskies are 39-42 lifetime against the Marauders and were swept in the season series a year ago.