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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - Sophomore Megan Brandt (Lebanon, Pa./Northern Lebanon) poured in a career-high 18 points and the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team used a big second half to post a 58-52 victory over visiting West Chester University on Wednesday night in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinals at the Nelson Field House. The Huskies advance to the PSAC Semifinals for the first time since the 2014-15 season and will enter the weekend with a 20-9 overall record. The Golden Rams had their season come to an end with a 16-14 overall mark.

Bloomsburg also secured the program's first undefeated season at home (14-0) since the 1989-90 season when the Huskies went 11-0 under head coach Joe Bressi who was inducted into the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame last October.

Brandt finished with 18 points on 8-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line. She added five rebounds and a pair of steals in 39 minutes of action. Her previous career-high in points was 14 on two different occasions, most recently against Seton Hill on January 23. Sophomore Emma Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) added 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while junior Bella Ricci (Etters, Pa./Red Land) was also in double figures as she chipped in 10 points on the night. Saxton scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as the Huskies rallied late.

The Huskies took a 43-39 lead after a layup from Saxton with 9:33 left in regulation before the Golden Rams went on an 11-3 run over the next three minutes to turn a four-point deficit into a four-point lead, 50-46, with 6:47 remaining. Senior Alyssa Mack (Walnutport, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) buried a triple and then converted a layup to give Bloomsburg a 51-50 edge with 4:16 left in regulation. West Chester's Justyn Roberts answered at the other end to reclaim a one-point lead for the visitors with 3:44 showing on the clock. Both teams went scoreless for nearly three minutes before senior Marissa Molnar (Erie, Pa./McDowell) grabbed a huge rebound off a West Chester miss which allowed the Huskies to call timeout with one minute left. Saxton had her number called following the break, drove in for a contested layup, somehow got the shot to fall, and hit the and-one foul shot to give the Huskies a 54-52 lead with 59 seconds left. Molnar grabbed two more crucial rebounds after West Chester misses and the two seniors - Mack and Molnar - went a perfect 4-of-4 at the line in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Bloomsburg trailed 18-14 after the opening quarter but it could have been much worse had it not been for Brandt's 10 first-period points. West Chester jumped out to a 10-2 advantage early but Brandt chipped away at the lead as she scored the Huskies' first eight points of the game. West Chester's Destiny Jefferson gave the Golden Rams an eight-point lead, 18-10 before Brandt and Saxton hit back-to-back baskets to cut the lead to 18-14 after one period.

West Chester outscored Bloomsburg, 9-8, in the second quarter to take a 27-22 lead at intermission. The Huskies then took a two-point lead through three quarters, 41-39, by virtue of a 19-12 third-period advantage. Ricci's triple with 30 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Huskies their first lead since Brandt started the scoring 30 seconds into the contest.

Mack finished with seven points while Molnar had six points and a career-high seven rebounds with three of those coming at crucial times late in the fourth quarter.

Bloomsburg shot 21-of-54 (38.9%) from the field and just 3-of-14 (21.4%) from beyond the arc. The Huskies, however, went 13-of-14 (92.9%) at the line with all foul shot attempts coming in the second half. West Chester went 19-of-56 (33.9%) from the field and hit 6-of-16 (37.5%) from deep. The Golden Rams made only 8-of-14 (57.1%) at the foul line.

Jefferson led the Golden Rams with 19 points while Madison Torresin finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. West Chester out-rebounded Bloomsburg, 39-33, for the contest but committed 15 turnovers to Bloomsburg's 11.

The victory sets up a PSAC Semifinal showdown against the Crimson Hawks of IUP on Saturday, March 9, from Kutztown University's Keystone Arena. Kutztown earned the right to host the Final Four following its 81-64 win over Lock Haven on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, IUP defeated Seton Hill, 67-53, on Wednesday night to advance to the semifinal round. The Huskies and Crimson Hawks met earlier in the year with IUP handing Bloomsburg a 72-48 loss in Indiana on November 14. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m.

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