Men's Basketball | 2/21/2017 6:15:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG (14-10, 10-10 PSAC East) vs #6 KUTZTOWN (22-2, 18-2 PSAC East)
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 7:30 p.m.
Bloomsburg, Pa. | Nelson Field House

GAME NOTES:
Bloomsburg vs Kutztown Game Notes

GAME COVERAGE:
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/bloomu/mbball/
Live Audio (WHLM): http://www.whlm.com
Live Video: Link Coming Soon

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

LAST TIME OUT ...
Bloomsburg could not get anything going on Saturday afternoon as it suffered a 95-68 loss at East Stroudsburg. However, despite the loss, the Huskies clinched a spot in the PSAC Tournament. Bloomsburg fell behind, 44-28, at halftime as Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) was saddled with foul trouble. Mortellite had only two points at halftime but managed to finish with 15 - one behind Carnell McGirt who had 16 points and nine rebounds to pace the Huskies. Malik Sneed chipped in with 13 points and four blocked shots. Bloomsburg was outrebounded, 51-32, turned the ball over 22 times, and made only 4-of-18 from three-point range in the loss. East Stroudsburg scored 21 second-chance points and 34 points after Bloomsburg turnovers.

STARTING FIVE ...
1 - Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) continues his rapid ascent up Bloomsburg's all-time scoring list. The sharpshooter currently sits in eighth place on the school's all-time list with 1,428 career points. He scored 15 points on Saturday afternoon and now needs two points to tie Lee Gump (1992-96) for seventh place. He has scored at least 20 points in 20 of the 24 games this season and has 40 career 20-point efforts in 76 collegiate games. He has hit double figures in 60 of his last 62 games and has been held to under 10 points in a game only nine times in his career.

2 - After a hot start to his return, senior Yahmir Greenlee has cooled off. After scoring 23 points in a home win over West Chester on February 1, Greenlee was averaging a season-high 17.5 points per game. However, over his last four games, Greenlee is averaging 10.3 points but is shooting only 26.0% from the field (13-of-50) and 12.0% from three-point range (3-of-25). His assist-to-turnover ratio is also less than one over the last four games - 11 assists and 13 turnovers. He had turned the ball over only 21 times in his first 11 games. On the flip side, senior Malik Sneed has heated up. Sneed has scored in double figures in three of his last six games and is averaging 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 62.1% (18-of-29) from the field.

3 - The Huskies are among the national leaders in several categories as a team while Mortellite's shooting touch has him among the country's leaders in a handful of individual categories. As a team, Bloomsburg ranks 12th in the country in free throw percentage (77.9%) and 11th in blocks per game (5.1) while ranking 34th in the nation in three-point percentage (40.0%). Mortellite, meanwhile, leads the country in three-pointers per game (4.17). He is also fifth in the nation in total threes (100), ninth in points per game (23.2), 15th in free-throw percentage (90.0%), and 26th in three-point percentage (45.0%).

4 - Mortellite broke one school record against West Chester on February 1 - most three-pointers in a single-season on the men's side - and then broke the Bloomsburg record for threes in a season after making nine last Wednesday at Mansfield (Dana Wieller held the Bloomsburg record, men or women, for threes in a year with 97 during the 2011-12 season). He has a chance for several more records by season's end. In terms of scoring, Mike Ellzy holds the school-record for points in a season with 600 - Mortellite is at 557. Ellzy also holds the school-record for most three-point attempts in a season with 227 - Mortellite is at 222. Aaron Carter holds the program record for most free throws made in a season with 143 - Mortellite is at 117. Finally, in terms of career records, Lorenzo Christmas holds the school record for career triples with 237 - Mortellite enters Wednesday's game with 217.

5 - Bloomsburg had three players post a double-double in the win at Wilmington - Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) (28 pts, 11 reb), Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) (17 pts, 12 reb), and Carnell McGirt (12 pts, 11 reb). It marked the first time multiple Huskies' players had a double-double since February 10, 2016 against Kutztown - Mortellite (25 pts, 13 reb) and Malik Garner (20 pts, 10 reb). The Huskies had not had three players post a double-double in the same game since prior to the 1990-1991 season.

THE SERIES ...
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Kutztown, 108-54.

LAST MEETING AGAINST KUTZTOWN ...
Bloomsburg gave everything #13 Kutztown could handle but its upset bid fell short, 98-92, in Kutztown on January 18. The Golden Bears led by six at halftime, 44-38, before the Huskies got hot and took an 11-point lead, 58-47, with 15:18 left. Kutztown, however, scored 22 of the game's next 29 points to erase the deficit and take the lead for good with 10:16 remaining. Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) led Bloomsburg with 28 points while Yahmir Greenlee added 25. Carnell McGirt chipped in 16 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Lee led the Golden Bears with 24 points.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS ...
Kutztown comes in as the hottest team in the PSAC East as it has won 14 straight to improve to 22-2 overall and 18-2 in league play. The Golden Bears are ranked sixth in the country in the latest NABC Division II poll. Kutztown has not lost since a 97-82 setback against Shippensburg on December 30. During the streak, the Golden Bears have scored at least 81 points in all 14 games and have hit at least 90 points ten times. All told, Kutztown is second in the PSAC in scoring (89.7) but 12th in scoring defense (76.7). The Golden Bears feature five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Anthony Lee at 15.8. Josh Johnson (15.7), Ethan Ridgeway (14.6), Dan Cuevas (14.1), and Ryan Connolly (12.1) are also in double digits. Johnson, the reigning Co-PSAC East Player of the Week, leads in rebounding (7.2) while Ridgeway leads the PSAC in assists with 204 (8.5 apg). Connolly has hit a team-high 60 triples.

BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS ...
Despite Saturday's loss at East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg clinched a spot in the PSAC Tournament for the second straight year, and the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Huskies can clinch a home game in the opening round with a win and a West Chester loss against Millersville on Wednesday.

NIGHT FOR THE AGES ...
Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) scored a career-high 39 points and hit a career-high nine three-pointers in the Huskies' 81-77 win at Mansfield. He finished one three-pointer shy of the single-game record of 10 set by Jay DeShields during the 1999-2000 season. His 39 points marked the most by a Bloomsburg player since Al Williams scored 40 against Mansfield on February 25, 1978. He had 15 points at halftime and then scored 24 of Bloomsburg's 40 second-half points in the win.

SAXTON NAMED PSAC EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK ...
Redshirt freshman Sam Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) earned his first collegiate weekly honor on Monday, February 13, when he was named the PSAC East Freshman of the Week. He made his first collegiate start at Millersville on Wednesday, February 8, and scored a career-high 14 points while hitting a career-best four three-pointers in six attempts.

TWO RECORDS DOWN ...
Redshirt junior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) hit five threes in the win over West Chester on February 1 to give him the program's single-season school-record, on the men's side, for three-pointers with 83. Jay DeShields held the previous record of 82 during the 2001-02 season. With his nine triples on Wednesday, that gave him 98 for the season, which surpassed Dana Wieller's school-record (men or women) of 97 she had during the 2011-12 season.

McGIRT HEATING UP ...
Junior Carnell McGirt has provided the Huskies with an offensive spark since getting off to a bit of a slow start. In his first eight games, McGirt averaged 8.8 points and 6.5 rebounds but, since then, he is averaging 14.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. He has hit double figures in 15 of his last 16 games including a career-high 26 points in the loss at Shippensburg on January 6.

HE'S RISING ...
On Saturday, December 3, Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) became the latest member of Bloomsburg University's 1,000-point club during the Huskies' 74-68 loss at Mercyhurst. Mortellite now has 1,428 points in his Huskies' career - eighth on the school's all-time list. He needs two points to tie Lee Gump (1992-96) for seventh. Mortellite is also climbing the school's all-time list for career three-pointers. Mortellite now has 217 three-pointers for his career - third on the all-time list. He is eight behind Mike Ellzy (1993-97) for second.

NOT FOUL AT THE LINE ...
Bloomsburg has been impressive from the charity stripe this season as it ranks third in the PSAC, and 12th in the country, in free-throw percentage (77.9%). Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) (90.0%) and senior Donell Diggs (85.5%) are second and third in the league, respectively, in accuracy. Mortellite is also 15th in the country. Junior Carnell McGirt (81.0%) is 13th in the PSAC. The Huskies have also made a living at the line as they have made more trips to the stripe than their opponent in 18 of the 24 games (tied in two) and have scored more points from the line in 20 of the 24 contests (tied in one). Bloomsburg is +110 from the free-throw line this season.

DOWNTOWN WITH THE HUSKIES ...
The Huskies have made at least one three-pointer in 178 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 at least ten three-pointers in a game eight times this season after achieving that feat just one time last season - an 85-59 home victory against Millersville on February 17, 2016 (10-of-17). Mortellite, meanwhile, leads the country in threes-per-game (4.17) and is fifth in the country in total three-pointers (100).

UP NEXT ...
Bloomsburg returns home on Saturday, February 25, to host Lock Haven at 1:00 p.m. on Senior Day. The Huskies will honor Donell Diggs, Yahmir Greenlee, and Malik Sneed prior to tipoff.