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EAST STROUDSBURG, PA - Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team was defeated 72-48 at East Stroudsburg Wednesday night. The Huskies fall to 17-9 overall, and 12-6 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East with the loss.

Bloomsburg has now dropped two straight contests, and three of their last four on the road. The Huskies are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, but are just 4-9 away from the Nelson Field House.

The Huskies do remain tied for first place in the PSAC East with just two games remaining in the regular season despite the loss, as Kutztown fell to red hot Millersville Wednesday night. The Golden Bears wrap up the regular season with a road game at East Stroudsburg and a home game against Lock Haven, while Bloomsburg closes out the season with a pair of home games against Mansfield and Shippensburg.

Montana was magnificent for the Huskies, tallying 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, a block, and a steal. Megan Brandt (Lebanon, Pa./Northern Lebanon) was the only other Bloomsburg player to reach double figures scoring, finishing with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Huskies struggled from the field all evening, shooting just 32.7% (18-of-55) from the floor, and 1-of-11 from three-point territory.

The typically stingy Bloomsburg defense struggled as well, allowing East Stroudsburg to notch 72 points on 53.4% (31-of-58) shooting, and a blazing 7-of-12 from behind the arc. Tiffany Lapotsky paced the Warriors with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Abby Schoffstall added 16 points. Jordan Hertz stuffed the stat sheet for East Stroudsburg, finishing with four points, seven rebounds, and a game-high 12 assists.

The Warriors were sizzling from the opening tip, out-scoring the Huskies 24-10 in the opening quarter. Bloomsburg would punch back in the second quarter, however, ripping off 10 straight points to pull within six at the half. Montana had eight points for the Huskies in the run, while Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) added the other bucket.

Bloomsburg would climb all the way back to tie it at 33-33 with 7:38 to play in the third quarter thanks to a Montana free throw and a layup from Brandt, but East Stroudsburg would close the quarter with seven straight points to reclaim control heading into the final stanza.

East Stroudsburg would break it wide open in the fourth, building up a lead as large as 22 with under two minutes to play on consecutive buckets from Schoffstall, Lapotsky, and Kaitlyn Swint. A triple from Amanda Pike with under a minute to play in the game would cap the red hot night for the Warriors.

Bloomsburg is idle this Saturday, and will return home to host Mansfield next Wednesday, February 27. The Huskies will then close the regular season on Saturday, March 2 against Shippensburg. Tip-off with the Mountaineers next Wednesday is set for 7:30 p.m.