Men's Basketball | 2/15/2019 11:37:00 AM

GAME COVERAGE
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GAME NOTES (PDF)

RELATED LINKS
• Bloomsburg: Schedule | Roster | Statistics
• Millersville: Schedule | Roster | Statistics

THE MATCHUP
• The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team heads to Millersville University on Saturday afternoon in search of its second consecutive victory. The Huskies are coming off of an 80-64 win over Cheyney on Wednesday night which snapped a nine-game losing skid. The Marauders are fourth in the PSAC East - two games ahead of Kutztown and Lock Haven for securing a home game in the opening round of the PSAC tournament.

THE SERIES
• Millersville leads the all-time series against Bloomsburg, 95-92. The Huskies had their six-game winning streak against the Marauders snapped back on January 16 when Millersville posted a 73-71 win at the Nelson Field House. Jaden Faulkner led the Marauders with 24 points (11-of-13 shooting) while Ky Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) paced the Huskies with 24 points. Caden Najdawi had a double-double for Millersville as he added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
• Travis Elmore (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) deposited 20 points on a sterling 9-of-10 from the floor to power Bloomsburg to an 80-64 win over Cheyney on Wednesday night. Elmore was one of three Huskies to reach double-digits in the scoring column as Peyton Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) splashed in four three-pointers en route to 14 points while Nicholas King (Easton, Pa./Freedom) added 10 points. Sekou Fofana (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) and Sam Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) had eight points apiece while guard William Melson (Allentown, Pa./Dieruff) tallied a career-high 10 assists. The Huskies were blazing from the floor all evening, shooting 31-of-57 (54.4%) from the field, and 8-of-21 (38.1%) from three-point territory. Bloomsburg's defense was equally impressive, forcing 12 Cheyney turnovers, and holding the Wolves to just 40.6% (26-of-64) shooting. The Huskies also out-rebounded Cheyney 41-31 on the night.

• Bloomsburg features a pair of talented freshmen this season in Elmore and Fofana. Elmore averages 14.6 points per game and is third in the PSAC - 40th in the country - in field goal percentage (56.3%). He also leads the team (16th in the PSAC) in rebounding (7.2). Elmore reached double figures in scoring in his first 13 games this season and has accomplished the feat in 19 of his first 22 collegiate contests. Fofana, meanwhile, has been on a tear as of late and has started each of the last six games, averaging 17.7 points in those six starts. Fofana posts 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game - in just an average of 21.0 minutes - and has reached double figures in scoring in 12 of his last 16 games. Those figures translate to 21.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per 40 minutes. A third freshman, Melson has started each of the last four games and is averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.3 steals in those four starts.

• Saxton averages 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game which are both career highs. In addition, he averages 2.6 assists per game which is tied for 25th in the PSAC. Bloomsburg is also getting solid minutes from Mortellite who has started each of the last five games. After averaging 1.8 points over his first six games, Mortellite is averaging 9.8 points over his last eight. He has been in double figures in five of the last six games and is 19-of-37 (51.4%) from deep during the stretch.

• The Huskies are 10th in the PSAC in scoring offense (74.0) but are last in scoring defense (86.0). Shooting and turnovers have also been a struggle for Bloomsburg this season as it ranks 16th in turnover margin (-4.6), 12th in field goal percentage (43.9%), 16th in three-point percentage (30.6%), and last in free throw percentage (63.2%). Bloomsburg's rebounding is tied for 11th in the league (+0.1).

• Bloomsburg has made at least one three-pointer in 230 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. Since adding Mortellite into heavy rotation on January 26, the Huskies have fared much better, going 46-of-120 (38.3%) over the last six games. The Huskies have hit at least seven threes in five of those six contests.

SCOUTING MILLERSVILLE
• The Marauders come into Saturday's contest with a 14-10 overall record and a 9-7 mark in the PSAC East, good for fourth place in the division. The Marauders, who have already clinched a spot in the PSAC tournament, are three games behind Shippensburg for third but two games ahead of both Kutztown and Lock Haven to secure a home game in the opening round.

• Senior Marcus Adkison leads the Marauders in scoring at 16.5 points per game but is posting just 11.8 points on 30.7% shooting (31-of-101) over his last nine games. Adkison ranks 16th in the PSAC in scoring and is tied for first in the conference in triples made per game (3.1). Four others average at least 9.4 points on the season - Najdawi (12.8), Faulkner (12.8), Justin Nwosu (10.3), and James Sullivan (9.4). Najdawi adds a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game which ranks 10th in the PSAC. Faulkner is having a solid all-around year as he is tied for second on the team in points, second in rebounding (4.6), first in assists (4.7), first in field goal percentage (51.9%), and tied for first in steals (50). He is tied for fourth in the PSAC in both assists and steals.
 
• Millersville is tied for eighth in the PSAC in scoring offense (77.0) and fifth in scoring defense (69.3). Aiding in the Marauders' stingy defense is their turnover margin as they rank third in the conference at +3.92. Millersville forces 17.7 opponent turnovers per game - second-most in the conference - and they are second in the league in steals per game (10.13).

UP NEXT
• Bloomsburg will be back on the road for its last regular season game away from home this season on Wednesday, February 20, when it travels to East Stroudsburg University. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

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