Women's Basketball | 2/26/2019 1:56:00 PM

 
GAME COVERAGE
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• FOLLOW ALONG (Live Stats)

GAME PREVIEWS
• Bloomsburg Game Notes (.pdf)

RELATED LINKS
• Bloomsburg Huskies: Schedule | Roster | Statistics
• Mansfield Mountaineers: Schedule | Roster | Statistics

THE STORY
• The Huskies return home in need of a bounce back performance after dropping their last two contests on the road. With just two games remaining in the regular season, Bloomsburg is tied with Kutztown atop the PSAC East at 12-6, and 17-9 overall. The Huskies host Mansfield Wednesday, before wrapping up the regular season this Saturday at home against Shippensburg. With a win Wednesday, Bloomsburg will finish no worse than second in the East, and will earn a first round bye in the PSAC Tournament.

• Bloomsburg has clinched a berth in the PSAC Tournament and the right to host a first round game, and can earn the opportunity to host the conference semifinals and championship game with a PSAC East regular season division crown. The Huskies split a pair of regular season contests with Kutztown, who wraps up its season with a road game at East Stroudsburg Wednesday and a home battle with Lock Haven on Saturday.

THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. MANSFIELD
• Bloomsburg has dominated the all-time series with Mansfield, leading the Mountaineers 64-10 overall, including a 55-42 road win back on January 26, 2019. Emma Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) poured in a game-high 15 points in the win. The two teams split a pair of regular season meetings in 2017-18, but the Huskies hold a 9-2 advantage over the last five seasons. 

LAST TIME OUT
• Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but Bloomsburg suffered a 72-48 road loss at East Stroudsburg last Wednesday night. The Huskies have now dropped two straight contests, and three of their last four on the road. Bloomsburg is a perfect 11-0 at home this season, but is just 4-9 away from the Nelson Field House. The typically stingy Huskies defense struggled on the evening, allowing East Stroudsburg to notch 72 points on 53.4% (31-of-58) shooting, and a blazing 7-of-12 from behind the arc.

THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
• Montana has been excellent under the basket for the Huskies this season. The junior leads the team in scoring (13.1) this season, and ranks fourth in the PSAC in field goal percentage (54.0%), 11th in rebounding (7.2 per game), and eighth in the total blocked shots (25). Montana has tallied double figures scoring in 10 of her last 12 games, and leads Bloomsburg in double-doubles this season with four.

• Emma Saxton (York, Pa./Central York), the Huskies leading scorer entering Wednesday's loss to East Stroudsburg, was held to just six points on 2-of-8 shooting. The sophomore has now been held in single-digits scoring in two straight contests after posting double figures in 16 straight before that. Saxton is now second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game, and ranks 17th in the nation (3rd in the PSAC) in field goal percentage (57.4%) this season.

• Senior Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) was held scoreless for the first time since November 28, 2017 Wednesday, attempting just five shots in 23 minutes off the bench. The senior ranks 22nd on Bloomsburg's all-time scoring list (1,073 career points), and needs 11 three-pointers to pass Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley) (169) for fifth place on the team's career made three's list.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
• 2018-19 has been a rebuilding year for the Mountaineers, who enter Saturday's game at just 2-22, and 1-18 in the PSAC. Mansfield has lost its last seven contests dating back to a 65-52 win over Cheyney on January 30. The Mountaineers suffered a 75-65 home loss to Shippensburg last Saturday, despite 20 points and five made three-pointers from sophomore Paige Whitfield.

• Mia Leonard has been a force inside for the Mountaineers this season. The 6-3 sophomore ranks 13th in the nation and first in the PSAC in blocked shots (69), and with eight swats against Shippensburg Saturday, Leonard broke the Mansfield record for most blocks in a single-season. The sophomore also leads the team in rebounds (8.3), field goal percentage (46.3%), and is second in scoring (9.4).

• Sophomore Erin Gibbons paces Mansfield with 11.5 points per contest, while McKenzie Hatch leads the team in assists, but has been sidelined since early February with an injury. Ellie Thompson chips in 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Mountaineers, and Whitfield adds 7.8 points and 2.4 assists per game.

• Mansfield has struggled to shoot the ball this season, ranking last in the conference in field goal percentage (35.9%) and 16th in three-point percentage (27.1%). The Mountaineers rank last in the PSAC in scoring offense (53.5) and scoring margin (-18.8), but have been strong around the basket, ranking third in blocked shots (4.5 per game) and eighth in defensive rebounds (26.7 per game).

LOOKING AHEAD
• The Huskies wrap up the regular season this Saturday, March 2, against Shippensburg. Prior to the contest, Bloomsburg seniors Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) and Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) will be honored for their outstanding careers with the Huskies. Tip-off with the Raiders is set for 1:00 p.m. Saturday.