BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University women's basketball team led by nine early in the second half but could muster only 21 points over the final 18 minutes of regulation as the visiting Bald Eagles of Lock Haven University came-from-behind to knock off the Huskies, 61-55, on Friday night at the Nelson Field House. Bloomsburg dropped to 7-8 overall and 4-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division while Lock Haven improved to 9-7 overall and 6-5 in the PSAC East.
Senior
Taylor Montana (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) gave the Huskies a 34-25 lead on a jumper with 7:32 left in the third quarter before the Bald Eagles went on a 17-1 run over the next five minutes to erase the nine-point deficit and turn it into a seven-point advantage - 42-35 - with 2:29 left in the period. Bloomsburg was able to bounce back with a 15-4 spurt to retake a 50-46 advantage with 5:15 left in regulation but could score only five points over the last five minutes as the Bald Eagles came back for the six-point win. Lock Haven's Ahnera Parker gave the visitors the lead for good when she knocked down a triple with 4:27 left in regulation and then provided the dagger with another three-pointer to push the margin to five - 58-53 - with 53 seconds left.
The 55 points marked the seventh time this season - fifth time in the last seven games - that Bloomsburg failed to reach the 60-point plateau. The Huskies are 0-7 in such games this season, four of which have been decided by ten points or fewer.
Montana led the Huskies with 12 points and a season-high five blocked shots. It was her first double-digit scoring effort since scoring 15 against Mercyhurst back on December 20. The 12 points on Friday night pulled her to within 15 of reaching the 1,000-point plateau for her collegiate career. Spadaccino added 10 points - her second double-digit effort over the last three games - and six rebounds. Spadaccino had not scored in double figures in he first 71 games of her career but is averaging 10.7 points over the last three games. Redshirt junior
Meghan Corridoni (Exeter, Pa./Holy Redeemer) also chipped in with 10 points.
Junior
Megan Brandt (Lebanon, Pa./Northern Lebanon) led the Huskies with eight rebounds while junior
Emma Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) paced the squad with five assists.
Bloomsburg held a 28-23 lead at halftime thanks to a 17-8 margin in the second quarter. Montana had seven of her points in the opening half while Spadaccino and Corridoni had six points apiece at the break.
The Huskies shot 21-of-52 (40.4%) from the field and connected on 2-of-5 (40.0%) from long distance. Bloomsburg was 11-of-16 (68.8%) from the free-throw line. Lock Haven shot only 36.4% from the floor, 30.0% from deep, and 58.3% from the charity stripe but the Bald Eagles attempted 14 more shots on the night thanks to 18 offensive rebounds and 17 Bloomsburg turnovers.
Rileigh Devine paced the Bald Eagles with 17 points while Parker finished with 15.
Bloomsburg will look to right the ship on Wednesday night, January 22, when it heads to Clarion University. Action gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
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