Men's Basketball | 2/23/2018 10:08:00 AM

BLOOMSBURG (15-10, 11-10 PSAC East) at SHIPPENSBURG (20-6, 16-5 PSAC East)
Saturday, February 24, 2018 - 3:00 p.m.
Shippensburg, Pa. | Heiges Field House

GAME NOTES
Bloomsburg vs Shippensburg Game Notes

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Bloomsburg - Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Shippensburg - Roster | Schedule | Statistics

STARTING FIVE ...
- Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Shippensburg, 104-70. However, the Raiders have won the last five meetings, and six of the last seven, between the two schools. The Huskies' last victory over Shippensburg came on January 27, 2016 - an 81-70 win in Bloomsburg.

- With 18:54 left in regulation on January 31 against Kutztown, Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) became the program's all-time leading scorer as he passed Mike Ellzy's total of 1,911 from 1993-97. Then, at Mansfield on Wednesday, Mortellite became just the 12th player in PSAC history to record 2,000 career points. With 2,017 career points, Mortellite is tied for tenth with Kutztown's Dave Ben (2005-09) on the PSAC's all-time scoring list.
 
- Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) has moved into second place on the school's all-time list with 132 career blocks but still trails Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton)'s school-record of 175 set from 2008-12. Rose currently ranks third in the PSAC, and 13th in the country, in blocks per game (2.52).  

- The Huskies have made at least one three-pointer in 206 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 reached double digits five times this season has made at least five in 20 of its 25 games. The Huskies are sixth in the PSAC, averaging 7.6 threes per game and fifth in percentage (36.8%).

- With eight triples in the win at Mansfield on Wednesday, Mortellite has now made 312 triples in his career and has moved into seventh on the PSAC's all-time list. He became only the eighth player in conference history to record 300 career triples midway through the second half against Millersville on February 10. He trails California's Ryan Stefanski (1999-03) by two and trails West Chester's Damien Blair (1991-95) by five to move into the top five all-time.

THE SERIES ...
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series against Shippensburg, 104-70. However, the Raiders have won the last five meetings, and six of the last seven, between the two schools. The Huskies' last victory over Shippensburg came on January 27, 2016 - an 81-70 win in Bloomsburg. Five of Shippensburg's six wins during the stretch have been decided by ten points or fewer.

LAST TIME OUT ...
Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) led a frenetic comeback effort, scoring 14 of his game-high 32 points over the final ten minutes of regulation, as Bloomsburg rallied from 19 points down over the last ten minutes to stun Mansfield, 74-73, at Decker Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Mortellite nailed a three-pointer with 14:35 left in the second half to become just the 12th player in PSAC history to record 2,000 career points. But, it was the 16 points he scored after that milestone-reaching basket that enabled the Huskies to pull off a stunning comeback. Mortellite was 11-of-19 from the field and 8-of-15 from three-point range en route to his fourth 30-point effort of the season and the ninth of his career. Khary Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) was the only other Huskies' player in double digits as he finished with 16 points while adding nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals. But, it was Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) who came up clutch in the end. Trailing 73-72 with four seconds left in regulation, Rose was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound and promptly buried both foul shots to give the Huskies a one-point lead. With fouls to give, the Huskies used two of them on Mansfield's last possession before Matt Tamanosky's jumper attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.

Shippensburg was held to a season low in scoring on Wednesday night, as the Raiders dropped a 78-59 decision to host West Chester. West Chester used an early 10-0 run just three minutes into the game to build a 19-7 lead, and the Golden Rams led by as many as 16 points in the first half. Shippensburg cut its deficit down to five points on multiple occasions in the second half but could get no closer. Multiple 8-0 runs for West Chester down the stretch put the game out of reach. John Castello posted his seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Antonio Kellem scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half while Justin McCarthur and Dustin Sleva each added 10 points. The Raiders shot just 29.7 percent from the field – their lowest output in 117 games. The Raiders matched a season high with 40 three-point attempts but made just eight.

SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG ...
The Huskies enter Wednesday's matchup with a 15-10 overall record and an 11-10 mark in the PSAC East. The Huskies have clinched the fifth seed in the Eastern Division standings and will participate in the PSAC tournament for the third straight year, and sixth time in the last seven seasons beginning Monday at Kutztown. Bloomsburg is fifth in the PSAC in scoring at 81.9 points per game and ranks 10th in the league in scoring defense at 78.0. The team is seventh in the league in rebounding margin (+1.8) and tied for 10th in the league in turnover margin (0.00). The Huskies average just 13.2 turnovers per game - the fourth-best mark in the PSAC.

Redshirt senior Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) leads the Huskies, and is tied for fifth in the PSAC, in scoring by averaging 21.3 points per game. He has scored at least 25 points nine times and has reached double figures in 24 of the 25 contests. On January 31 against Kutztown, Mortellite became the school's all-time leading scorer as he surpassed Mike Ellzy (1993-97) who finished his career with 1,911 points. Then, on Wednesday at Mansfield, he became the 12th player in PSAC history to record 2,000 career points. He is tied for 10th on the PSAC's all-time scoring list with 2,017 points. He became the eighth player in PSAC history to record 300 three-pointers against Millersville on February 10 and ranks seventh in conference history with 312 career makes. Mortellite also leads the team in rebounding (6.8), is second in steals (1.4), and is second in assists (2.7). He is tops in the PSAC in threes-per-game (3.40) and is tops in the league in free-throw percentage (89.9%; 98-of-109). Sophomore Khary Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) is second on the team in scoring as he averages 13.3 points per game. He recorded what is believed to be the program's first triple-double (21 pts, 11 reb, 13 ast) against Lock Haven on February 3 - three days after his first career double-double (12 pts, 10 reb) against Kutztown on January 31. Mauras is averaging 14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.6 steals over the last ten games. He leads the team in assists (110) and steals (44) and ranks eighth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.4), tied for seventh in steals (1.8), and tied for sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). Senior Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game after averaging 5.6 points per game through his first two seasons. He ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.0) and free-throw percentage (82.5%; 80-of-97). Rose leads the team with 63 blocked shots. He is third in the PSAC, and 13th in the country, in blocks per game (2.52) and is second on the school's all-time list with 132 career swats. Graduate student Hashim Moore (Sunrise, Fla./Hun School) is also in double figures, averaging 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. He posted his first career double-double on Wednesday, February 14, with 22 points and 13 rebounds against East Stroudsburg.  

SCOUTING SHIPPENSBURG ...
The Raiders come in to Saturday's matchup with a 20-6 overall record and a 16-5 mark in the PSAC East. However, with Wednesday's loss at West Chester, Shippensburg will have to play a first-round contest in the PSAC tournament on Monday as it will host sixth-seeded Millersville. Shippensburg does most everything quite well - it is sixth in the PSAC in scoring offense (80.1), third in scoring defense (70.0), seventh in field goal percentage (46.8%), third in three-point percentage (37.2%), first in free throw percentage (79.3%), fifth in rebounding margin (+2.8), seventh in turnover margin (+0.38), and second in fewest turnovers per game (12.2). The offense runs through senior Dustin Sleva who is fourth in the PSAC in scoring average (21.4) and second in the league in rebounding (11.0). He has reached double figures in scoring in 66 of his last 67 games and has 54 career double-doubles, including 18 this season. Sleva is Shippensburg's all-time leading scorer as he has scored 1,922 career points. He needs 78 points for 2,000 points in his career - and, if he gets there, would become just the fourth player in PSAC history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Justin McCarthur is also having a solid season for the Raiders as he is second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game. He is Shippensburg's all-time leader in career three-pointers with 269 and has scored 1,519 career points. John Castello is second on the team in rebounding (8.3) and is averaging 12.3 points per game - third on the team. Antonio Kellem averages 10.3 points while Clay Conner averages 7.8 points. Conner leads the team with 118 assists. Conner is sixth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.5) and is tied for second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5).

BROKEN RECORDS ...
Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) became the school's all-time leading scorer against Kutztown on January 31 - just another added to the laundry list of records he currently owns. Mortellite now holds the school record for most career points (2,017), most points in a season (613), most threes in a season (110), most career threes made (312), most career free throws made (435), most three-point attempts in a season (255), and most career three-point attempts (736). He could still break several other records by season's end including most career field goals made (needs 58), most career free throws attempted (needs 45), highest career scoring average (Richard Lloyd - 19.4), highest career three-point percentage (Joe Stepanski - 43.0%), and highest career free throw percentage (Glenn Noack - 84.6%). Mortellite currently ranks tied for 10th on the PSAC's all-time scoring list with 2,017 points and also ranks seventh on the PSAC's all-time list in career three-pointers with 312. He became only the 12th player in PSAC history to record 2,000 points with a three-pointer early in the second half at Mansfield on Wednesday.

HISTORIC MONTH ...
Two historic accomplishments were achieved in the span of three days at the Nelson Field House for the Bloomsburg men's basketball program. On Wednesday, January 31, Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) became the school's all-time leading scorer after a driving layup with 18:54 left in regulation against Kutztown. The basket gave him 1,913 points for his career, surpassing Mike Ellzy's previous record of 1,911 from 1993-97. Then, on Saturday, February 3, sophomore Khary Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) recorded what is believed to be the program's first-ever triple-double in an eight-point win over Lock Haven. Mauras had 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, recording the 19th triple-double in Division II this season and only the second by a PSAC player (Seton Hill's Spencer Casson had the first). Finally, on Wednesday, February 21, Mortellite became only the 12th player in PSAC history to record 2,000 career points when he nailed a three-pointer with 14:35 left in regulation.

BLOCK PARTY ...
With his 63 blocks this season, senior Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) has moved into second place on the school's all-time list with 132 career blocks. Rose became the seventh player in school history to record 100 blocked shots with three against Cheyney on January 6. He is currently third in the PSAC, and 13th in the country, in blocks per game (2.52). Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) (2008-12) holds Bloomsburg's all-time career record for blocked shots with 175.

DOWNTOWN WITH THE HUSKIES ...
The Huskies have made at least one three-pointer in 206 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 made at least ten three-pointers in a game eight times last season after achieving that feat just one time in 2015-16. Bloomsburg has reached double digits five times this season but has made at least five in 20 of its 25 games. The Huskies are sixth in the PSAC, averaging 7.6 threes per game and fifth in percentage (36.8%).

GETTING TO THE STRIPE ...
Bloomsburg is shooting 73.6% from the free throw line this season - fifth in the PSAC - and has outscored its opponents from the stripe in 20 of the 25 games. The Huskies are +107 from the foul line this season (408-301). Bloomsburg features three of the top 16 foul shooters in the PSAC this season - Christian Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) (1st, 89.9%), Kyle-Michael Rose (Middletown, Del./Sanford School) (11th, 82.5%), and Khary Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) (16th, 79.3%). The home win over Lock Haven on February 3, marked the first, and only, time this season that Bloomsburg won despite being outscored (1-4) and out-attempted (1-6) from the foul line.

WELCOME TO DIVISION II ...
Bloomsburg has three Division I transfers on this year's roster - sophomore Austin Harriott (Philadelphia, Pa./Hun School) (Loyola (Md.)), sophomore Khary Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) (Old Dominion), and graduate student Hashim Moore (Sunrise, Fla./Hun School) (Princeton). Mauras is second on the team in scoring (13.3) and leads the team - eighth in the PSAC - in assists (4.4). He posted what is believed to be the program's first-ever triple-double (21 pts, 11 reb, 13 ast) against Lock Haven on February 3. Moore is averaging 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. After opening the season by averaging 3.7 points in his first three games, Moore is averaging 12.1 points, while shooting 111-of-182 (61.0%) from the field over his last 22 games. Moore posted his first career double-double (22 pts, 13 reb) against East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, February 14. Harriott averages 6.8 points while ranking third on the team in rebounding (5.9) and second in blocks (20). He posted his first career double-double (11 pts, 11 reb) at Cheyney on February 7 and is averaging 7.7 boards over his last eight games.

MORE ON MORTELLITE ...
Mortellite has 56 career 20-point efforts (104 games) and nine career 30-point games. He has hit double figures in 86 of his last 90 games and has been held to under 10 points in a game only 11 times in his career. He currently ranks tied for tenth on the PSAC's all-time scoring list with 2,017 points. He is also seventh on the PSAC's all-time list in career three-pointers with 312.
 
THAT'S OFFENSIVE ...
Bloomsburg posted 110-59 victory over visiting Cheyney on January 6. The Huskies had five double-digit scorers and all 12 players that appeared in the game scored at least two points in the victory. The 51-point margin of victory was Bloomsburg's largest since a 91-38 win over Penn State Wilkes Barre on December 7, 2009 and the 110 points scored marked the most by a Huskies' team in a single game since December 10, 1999 when Bloomsburg defeated the University of Bridgeport, 123-56. Prior to the 98-62 loss at East Stroudsburg on January 13, the Huskies had scored at least 90 points in four straight games - the longest streak in program history. Bloomsburg had done it in three straight games three times with the most recent coming in the 2010-11 season.

UP NEXT ...
The Huskies will head to Kutztown University on Monday, February 26, for the opening round of the PSAC tournament. Start time is set for 7:30 p.m. Bloomsburg has not won a postseason game since a first round, 82-71, home victory over the Golden Bears on March 1, 2014. Kutztown swept the season series against the Huskies, winning each game by five points (97-92 in Kutztown on January 3; 76-71 in Bloomsburg on January 31).