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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - Senior Morgan Klunk (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) scored 18 points and freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) tied a career-high with 14 points as the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team earned its first conference win of the season with a 53-37 victory over visiting Mansfield University on Wednesday night at the Nelson Field House. The win snapped a nine-game losing streak and improved their record to 2-12 overall and 1-9 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. The Mountaineers dropped to 3-11 overall and 1-9 in league play.

The game marked the first meeting for head coach Alison Tagliaferri against her alma mater and the school she left to take over as Bloomsburg's head coach this past summer. And, after a sluggish start, the Huskies gave their coach her first conference win on the Bloomsburg bench.

The Huskies trailed, 22-20, at halftime as they shot only 26.9% (7-of-26) from the field in the opening half. But, Bloomsburg regrouped in the locker room and outscored the Mountaineers, 33-15, in the second half. Klunk sparked the turnaround as she scored 10 of the Huskies' 17 points in the third quarter as Bloomsburg outscored Mansfield, 17-9, in the pivotal third period.

Bloomsburg poured it on in the fourth, outscoring the Mountaineers, 16-6, over the final ten minutes.

The visitors, after trailing early, built up an 8-3 lead with 3:57 left in the opening quarter. Bloomsburg got the lead down to as few as three, 10-7, with 2:51 left after Klunk knocked down a jumper. But, Mansfield's Tianna Jackson knocked down a three-pointer to extend the lead to six, 13-7, and the Mountaineers would enjoy a 13-9 advantage at the end of the opening period.

The Huskies never took the lead in the second quarter but were able to tie the game on two separate occasions - on a three-pointer from sophomore Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) with 3:53 left and then a jumper from Klunk with 1:16 remaining in the first half. However, Mansfield's Brielle Kelly hit a jumper with 51 seconds left in the half and the teams went to the locker rooms with Mansfield ahead, 22-20, at the break.

Jackson scored Mansfield's first four points of the third quarter as the Mountaineers built up a four-point lead, 26-22, with 8:12 left in the frame. Senior Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), however, nailed a three-pointer at the top of the circle to cut the lead to one, 26-25, with 7:09 remaining. That triple sparked a 15-3 run that turned a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead, 37-29, with 1:07 left in the quarter. Klunk scored eight of the Huskies' 15 points during the run.

Mansfield remained ice cold in the fourth quarter as the Huskies got the lead into double figures after a layup from Montana with 7:55 left. In fact, the Huskies scored the first eight points of the quarter to build up a 14-point advantage, 45-31, with 5:38 remaining. Sophomore Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored all seven of her points in the final ten minutes. She helped seal the game by going 5-of-6 from the foul line down the stretch.

Klunk finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and four steals to lead the Huskies. Montana tied a career-high with 14 points while also pulling down eight rebounds. Mack (8), Sneidman (7), and Ross (6) were the only other Huskies to score on the night. Bloomsburg shot only 30.4% from the field for the game but turned the ball over a season-low 11 times.

Mansfield was limited to 5-of-27 shooting in the second half and finished the contest making only 13-of-51 shot attempts (25.5%). It also turned the ball over 17 times in the loss. Jackson led the Mountaineers with nine points.

Bloomsburg will look to string a pair of wins together when it hosts Millersville University on Saturday, January 14. Tip-off from the Nelson Field House is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.