Women's Basketball | 2/14/2017 9:03:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG (8-14, 7-11 PSAC East) at MANSFIELD (5-18, 3-16 PSAC East)
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - 5:30 p.m.
Mansfield, Pa. | Decker Gymnasium

GAME NOTES:
Bloomsburg vs Mansfield Game Notes

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

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

LAST TIME OUT ...
Bloomsburg returned to its winning ways with a 59-49 victory at Millersville last Wednesday, February 8. The Huskies used a 15-6 margin in the second quarter to take a 27-21 lead at halftime and then never looked back. Defense was the name of the game for the Huskies as they limited the Marauders to just 38.0% (19-of-50) shooting from the field and forced 29 Millersville turnovers in the victory. The Huskies had four players in double figures led by senior Morgan Klunk who had 18 points. Senior Alex Ross had 14 points, six assists, and five rebounds while sophomores Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) (11) and Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (10) were also in double digits.

STARTING FIVE ...
1 - Senior Morgan Klunk became the 21st player in school history to record 1,000 career points when she nailed a three-pointer with 2:59 left in regulation against Shippensburg on Saturday, February 4. She now has 1,018 points for her career and needs 90 points to tie Holly Curnow (1995-99) for 20th on the school's all-time list. The senior is on milestone watch in two other categories - rebounds and assists. She is now 22 rebounds and 23 assists shy of reaching 500 career rebounds and 300 career assists to go along with her 1,000 career points. Klunk has moved into 12th place on the school's all-time list for career assists with 277. She needs one helper to tie Dana Wieller (2009-13) for 11th on the list and three to tie Curnow for 10th place.

2 - After a 1-12 start, the Huskies have won seven of their last nine games and are currently tied for fourth place in the PSAC Eastern Division with an 8-14 overall record and a 7-11 mark in league play. While Bloomsburg is still only 16th in the conference in scoring offense at 56.6 points per game, the Huskies have shown improvement on the offensive end during the nine-game stretch. Bloomsburg is averaging 61.0 points per game during its last eight games and that includes a 53-37 win over Mansfield on January 11 and a 52-43 victory over Millersville on January 14 to start the run.

3 - Defensively, the Huskies are sixth in the conference in scoring defense (61.9) and have limited opponents to under 70 points 16 times this season. Over the last nine games (seven wins), the Huskies have allowed a total of 522 points (58.0 per game). Bloomsburg is sixth in the PSAC in opponents' field-goal percentage (38.9%) and tenth in opponents' three-point percentage (29.9%). It also ranks second in the league in blocks per game (4.6) and fifth in steals per game (8.6).

4 - The Huskies have turned to some unsung heroes during the hot streak. Sophomore Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) has started each of the last 13 games, averaging 30.8 minutes in those 13 starts, and is posting 6.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over her last 14 contests. Freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) earned the PSAC East Freshman of the Week on Monday, January 30, and is averaging 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds over her last eight games while shooting 53.7% from the field during the stretch. And, sophomore Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has reached double-figures in scoring in three of her last four games after hitting double figures only twice in her first 40 collegiate contests. She is averaging 11.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in her last four games.

5 - The Huskies have a very young roster that features only two seniors - Morgan Klunk and Alex Ross - 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, 61-9.

LAST MEETING AGAINST MANSFIELD ...
Bloomsburg trailed Mansfield, 22-20, at halftime but outscored the Mountaineers, 33-15, in the second half to earn a 53-37 victory at the Nelson Field House on January 11. It marked the first meeting for first-year head coach Alison Tagliaferri against her alma mater and the school she left to take over as Bloomsburg's head coach this past summer. The Huskies held Mansfield to just 5-of-27 from the field in the second half. Senior Morgan Klunk led the Huskies with 18 points while freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) chipped in 14 for the Huskies. Tianna Jackson led Mansfield with nine points in the loss.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS ...
Mansfield enters the contest with an overall record of 5-18 and a 3-16 mark in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Mountaineers have lost two straight - and five of their last six - and are currently in last place in the division. In its most recent outing, Mansfield dropped a 71-56 decision at Shippensburg last Saturday. The Mountaineers are 17th in the PSAC in scoring offense (56.0) and are 10th in the conference in scoring defense (66.0). Mansfield is also 15th in the league in rebounding margin (-3.3) and 16th in turnover margin (-4.0). Brielle Kelly leads Mansfield in scoring at 13.7 points per game. She is just 93 points away from 1,000 and 16 rebounds away from 500 for her collegiate career. She has reached double figures in scoring 18 times this season, including a career-high 27 points at West Chester on January 28. Kelly also leads the team in rebounds at 7.7 per game. She is 17th in the PSAC in scoring and 10th in the conference in rebounding. Tianna Jackson is the only other Mountaineer in double figures as she averages 11.0 points per game. She is averaging 14.0 points over her last four games and is coming off of an 18-point performance at Shippensburg. Jackson also leads the team in assists (2.5) and three-pointers (34). Bella Ricci has only started two of the 23 games this season but is third on the team in scoring at 8.1 points per game. She is second on the team with 30 triples.

HEATING UP ...
Senior Alex Ross has hit double figures in scoring in each of the last seven games and is averaging 13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists during the stretch. Freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) scored a career-high 19 points at Lock Haven on Wednesday, January 25, and is averaging 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds over her last eight games. She has hit 29-of-54 (53.7%) from the field during the stretch. Sophomore Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) has been in double figures in three of the last four games and is averaging 11.3 points and 2.5 rebounds during the spurt.

ONE MILESTONE DOWN ...
Senior Morgan Klunk became the 21st player in school history to record 1,000 career points when she poured in 17 against Shippensburg on Saturday, February 4. She now needs 90 points to crack the top 20 in program history. She also has a chance to hit two more milestones during the season and become one of a handful of players in program history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 300 assists. She needs 22 rebounds and 23 assists to hit the other two figures.

DEE-FENSE ...
Despite Bloomsburg's scoring woes for much of the season, the Huskies have been in a number of games because they have been able to keep their opponents off the board. Bloomsburg's defense has allowed 70 or more points in a game only six times and has limited its opponents only 61.9 points per game. That figure is sixth-best in the PSAC. Over the last nine games, in which Bloomsburg has gone 7-2, the Huskies have allowed a total of 522 points (58.0 per game). Bloomsburg is sixth in the PSAC in opponents' field-goal percentage (38.9%) and tenth in opponents' three-point percentage (29.9%). Those numbers took a huge hit on February 4 as Shippensburg shot 57.1% from the field and 63.2% from long distance. It also ranks second in the league in blocks per game (4.6) and fourth in steals per game (8.6).

DO-IT-ALL ...
Senior Alex Ross has done some of everything for the Huskies this season and leads the team, or is near the top, in almost every statistical category. She ranks third on the team in scoring (9.4), second in rebounding (5.5), first in assists (2.9), first in blocks (1.4), and second in steals (1.2). Her game has really picked up during the Huskies' 7-2 stretch. She has hit double figures in each of the last seven games and is averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks over the last eleven contests.

MONTANA PSAC EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK ...
Freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) earned the first weekly honor of the season for a Bloomsburg player when she was named the PSAC East Freshman of the Week on Monday, January 30. During the 2-0 week for the Huskies, she scored a career-high 19 points at Lock Haven (January 25) and then added seven at Cheyney (January 28) to average 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 61.1% from the field in the Bloomsburg wins.

BLOCK PARTY ...
The Huskies are second in the conference, and 26th in the country, in blocked shots per game (4.6). The Huskies have blocked at least four shots in 15 of the 22 games and have blocked ten shots in a game twice - against Chestnut Hill on November 22 and at Philadelphia on November 27. Senior Alex Ross has taken over the team lead as she averages 1.4 blocks per game - seventh in the PSAC. Freshman Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) is tied for 11th in the league at 1.1 while freshman Meghan Corridoni (Exeter, Pa./Holy Redeemer) is tied for 14th as she averages exactly one block per game. Montana, Ross, and Corridoni have combined for 74 of the team's 102 blocks.

UP NEXT ...
Bloomsburg will next travel to East Stroudsburg for a Saturday, February 18, afternoon matchup with the Warriors. First tip is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. The Huskies will be looking to avenge a 75-55 loss to the Warriors at Nelson Field House on January 21.