BLOOMSBURG (1-11, 0-8 PSAC East) vs EDINBORO (12-2, 8-0 PSAC West)
Monday, January 9, 2017 - 5:30 p.m.
Bloomsburg, Pa. | Nelson Field House

GAME NOTES:
Bloomsburg vs Edinboro Game Notes

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

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

LAST TIME OUT ...
Bloomsburg jumped out to a 13-0 lead at Shippensburg but suffered its eighth consecutive loss with a 63-51 setback against the Raiders last Friday night. The Huskies led, 16-10, after the opening quarter but managed to score only 35 points the rest of the way and were outscored 37-17 in the second and third quarters combined. Senior Morgan Klunk (Felton, Pa./York Catholic) paced the Huskies with 15 points on 7-of-10 from the field. She added a team-high seven rebounds and had two assists which moved her into 12th on the school's all-time list. Sophomore Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) had 13 points for her third straight double-digit effort. Stephanie Knauer led three Raiders in double figures with 24 points.

STARTING FIVE ...
1 - Points have been tough to come by this season. Bloomsburg is 17th in the PSAC, and 294th in the country, in points per game (53.5). Only Cheyney is averaging fewer points (47.9) in the PSAC. The Huskies have been held to under 60 points in nine of the twelve 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 (37.3%), tied for 15th in three-point percentage (26.3%), and 15th in free throw shooting (62.7%).

2 - The Huskies are, however, ranked eighth in the conference in scoring defense (64.8) and have limited opponents to under 70 points in a game eight times. However, since allowing a season-low 41 points at Georgian Court on November 26, Bloomsburg's points allowed were trending in the wrong direction - 57 at Philadelphia, 66 at Mercyhurst, 71 at Gannon, 74 at Clarion, 80 against California, and 81 at West Chester - before allowing only 59 to Cheyney on Tuesday and 63 to Shippensburg on Friday. The Huskies are also second in the conference in blocked shots per game (5.3), which has them 21st in the country in blocks per contest.

3 - Sophomore Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), arguably, had the best game of her collegiate career in the loss to California on December 18. Sneidman played a then-career-high 33 minutes and scored a career-high seven points while tying a career-best in rebounds with four. She also buried her first career three-pointer and blocked her first career shot in the loss. In her first 26 games with the Huskies, Sneidman had scored a total of seven points. Over her last four games, Sneidman is averaging 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. She has started each of the last three games.

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 (11.7), rebounding (5.7), assists (2.9), and steals (2.2). 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 113 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 ...
Edinboro leads the all-time series against Bloomsburg, 15-12.

LAST MEETING AGAINST EDINBORO ...
Bloomsburg got off to a miserable start and could not recover as the Fighting Scots handed the Huskies an 84-58 loss at Edinboro's McComb Fieldhouse on January 6, 2016. Edinboro jumped out to a 44-25 lead at halftime and never looked back as the Huskies shot only 26.7% (8-of-30) from the field in the opening half. Bloomsburg shot just 30.2% from the field for the game. Mia Hopkins (Pittston/Pittston Area) led the Huskies with 13 points while Kristie Costantino (Norristown/Archbishop John Carroll) had 12 off the bench. Edinboro had four players in double figures, led by Lauren Hippo's 21 points. Katie Fischer had 18 points and 14 assists while Aignee' Freeland added 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven blocks.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING SCOTS ...
Edinboro is off to a tremendous start this season as the Fighting Scots enter the contest with a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in the PSAC West. The Scots have won 12 straight and are tied with both Mercyhurst and IUP for the divisional lead. Edinboro's signature win was against then-#2 California when it defeated the Vulcans, 71-54, on December 30. Edinboro is third in the PSAC in scoring offense (73.6) and second in the league in scoring defense (57.1). Senior Katie Fischer eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for her career on Friday night against Pitt-Johnstown and leads the team in scoring (15.3), assists (4.2), and steals (2.4). She ranks in the top ten in the league in all three categories. Ciara Rosten is second on the team in scoring (10.7) but leads the team in rebounding (7.0) and blocked shots (1.4). Michelle Jahn (10.2) is also averaging double figures in scoring while Jontay Walton is the team's top option off the bench as she averages 9.5 points per contest. Fischer and Jahn have combined to hit 64 of the team's 87 three-pointers.

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 53.5 points per game - 17th in the PSAC and 294th in the country. The Huskies average more points than only Cheyney (47.9) in the PSAC. The Huskies have shot better than 40% in a game five times this season and are 14th in the PSAC at 37.3% on the year. However, the Huskies' defense has allowed 70 or more points in a game only four times and allow only 64.8 points per game to their opponents. That figure is the eighth-best in the PSAC.

BLOCK PARTY ...
The Huskies are second in the conference, and 21st in the country, in blocked shots per game (5.3). The Huskies have blocked at least four shots in ten of the twelve 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 fourth in the PSAC in blocks (1.6) while senior Alex Ross (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) is tied for fifth in the league (1.5). Freshman Meghan Corridoni (Exeter, Pa./Holy Redeemer) is tied for 13th as she averages exactly one block per game.

STRUGGLING FROM DEEP ...
Bloomsburg enters the game having made only 47 three-pointers in 12 games this season (3.9 per game). The Huskies are tied for 14th in the league in triples made per game and 16th in the PSAC in three-point shooting percentage (26.3%). Sophomore Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) hit all five of Bloomsburg's three-pointers last Tuesday against Cheyney and has accounted for 21 of the team's 47 three-pointers while sophomore Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) is second with 11. The duo has combined to shoot 32-of-110 from deep (29.1%) while the rest of the team is 15-of-69 (21.7%).

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 (33.2). She is tops on the team in scoring (11.7), rebounds (5.7), assists (2.9), and steals (2.2). 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 113 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 (7.4), tied for second in rebounding (5.3), second in assists (2.2), second in blocks (1.5), and second in steals (1.2). 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 third in assists (2.1) and leads the team in three-pointers (21). 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 4.9 points and 3.1 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 4.1 and 1.8, 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 2.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season - 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over her last four games.

UP NEXT ...
Bloomsburg will be home against on Wednesday, January 11, when it hosts Mansfield University at Nelson Field House. Start time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Alison Tagliaferri spent four seasons as the coach with the Mountaineers before coming to Bloomsburg this season. She also had a stellar four-year playing career at Mansfield. Bloomsburg is 60-9 lifetime against Mansfield.