BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team led by two points with five minutes left in regulation but the visiting Bald Eagles of Lock Haven University put on a foul-shooting clinic down the stretch to pull away for a 95-80 win over the Huskies at the Nelson Field House on Friday night. With the loss, Bloomsburg has now dropped three straight to fall to 7-10 overall and 4-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division standings. Lock Haven, meanwhile, improved to 8-7 overall and 5-6 in the division.

Freshman Justin Anderson (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) gave the Huskies a 69-67 advantage with 5:08 left in regulation but that would be the last lead Bloomsburg would have the remainder of the night. Lock Haven's Trevor Lecouna hit a triple on the Bald Eagles' ensuing possession to give the visitors a one-point lead with 4:47 left and then took a five-point advantage with four foul shots with 4:01 left - two on a personal foul and two more following a Bloomsburg technical.

That would prove to be the turning point of the night and the Lock Haven foul shooting would prove to be the recurring theme over the rest of contest. 

After Lecouna's triple, Lock Haven scored 25 points which was aided by a perfect 21-of-21 showing at the free-throw line - over the last four minutes of regulation - to pull away for the 15-point victory.

Anderson led four Huskies in double figures with 18 points. Senior Ky Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) added 15 points while redshirt junior Max Wagner (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) chipped in 13. Redshirt junior Peyton Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) was the fourth player in double digits as he finished with 10 points.

Lock Haven led for much of the first half and built up a nine-point advantage - 35-26 - with 4:29 left in the opening stanza before the Huskies responded with a 10-0 run to close out the half with a 36-35 lead as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms. Mortellite started the run with a triple and then Mauras hit back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 35-33 with 1:39 left. Redshirt senior Sam Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) closed out the half with a three-pointer from the right wing to give the Huskies their first lead since a 2-0 advantage on the game's opening possession.

The Huskies continued the run into the second half as they scored the first four points - on baskets from Wagner and junior Maqi Watson (Philadelphia, Pa./Mathematics, Civics, and Sciences Charter) - to take a 40-35 advantage with 18:26 remaining in regulation. But, the visitors stormed back with a 16-4 run over the next four minutes to turn a five-point deficit into a seven-point lead - 51-44 - with 14:34 left. Lock Haven's lead grew to as many as eight points before Bloomsburg responded with an 11-1 run to take its final lead of the night - 69-67 - with 5:08 left. Mauras had five points during the spurt while Anderson and sophomore Devon Ferrero (King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) chipped in with three points apiece.

Lecouna's triple gave Lock Haven the lead for good with 4:47 left and the Bald Eagles pulled away despite only two made field goals over the last four minutes.

Bloomsburg shot 29-of-71 (40.8%) from the field and was 8-of-22 (36.4%) from long range on the night. Lock Haven was slightly better in both categories - the Bald Eagles were 27-of-57 (47.4%) from the floor and 10-of-21 (47.6%) from deep. The difference came at the foul line where the Huskies were 14-of-21 (66.7%) while Lock Haven was 31-of-36 (86.1%) which included a 29-of-32 (90.6%) performance in the second half alone.

Lock Haven held a slight 42-37 edge on the glass but the Huskies committed a season-low six turnovers. Sophomore Travis Elmore (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) led Bloomsburg with eight rebounds while Mauras had six. Mauras and freshman Justin Rodriguez (Easton, Pa./Morristown-Beard) paced the Huskies with four assists apiece.

Christian Kelly and Matt Cerrutti each scored 27 points to lead the visitors in scoring. The duo went 23-of-24 from the foul line including a perfect 17-of-17 over the final four minutes of regulation. Kelly added a game-high nine boards.

Bloomsburg will look to put an end to its three-game losing skid when it heads to Clarion University for a contest against the Bald Eagles on Wednesday, January 22. Action gets underway at 7:30 p.m.