SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. – The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team fell to Shepherd, 85-74, Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Huskies fall to 8-15 on the year and 5-12 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action while the Rams improved to 10-12 for the season and 6-10 against PSAC teams.
 
Four Huskies reached double figures, led by senior Sam Saxton (York, Pa./Central York) and redshirt junior Max Wagner (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) with 15 points each. Sophomore Travis Elmore (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) finished the day with 14 points and senior Ky Mauras (Reading, Pa./Reading) narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Mauras added seven assists as well. As a team, the Huskies shot 52.5% (32-of-61) from the field, including 57.14% (16-of-28) in the first half. Bloomsburg was 6-of-18 from downtown and just 4-of-7 from the free throw line.
 
The Rams shot 48.5% (33-of-68) from the field but were 13-of-35 from beyond the arc and were 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
 
The Huskies opened the game on a 10-7 run thanks to six points from Elmore before Shepherd tied the game at 10-10 at the 13:29 mark. Ethan Houston (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) hit a three with 12:48 to go before the break but the Rams answered with another three to tie the game for the third time in a minute and a half, 15-15. Houston and freshman Justin Anderson (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) suck back to back baskets to give Bloomsburg a four-point lead, 19-15, with 11:29 to play but the Rams used an 8-0 run to take the lead for good, 23-19, with 9:38 to go before the break.
 
Bloomsburg kept the deficit to single digits and got as close as within one, 33-32, with 3:02 to play but could not take the lead back from Shepherd. Jon Preston and Phillip sandwiched a pair of threes for Shepherd around an Anderson three to close out the half as the Rams led 45-37 at the break.
 
The Rams pushed their lead to double digits for the first time in the game, 49-39, with 17:46 to play in the second but the Huskies struggled to put together an offensive run and the Rams maintained their two-possession lead. With 5:11 to play, Bloomsburg cut the lead back to four thanks to a jumper from Devon Ferrero (King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) to trim the gap to 71-67. With 1:20 left to play, the Rams pushed their lead back to double digits, 81-69, to effectively put the game out of reach for Bloomsburg.
 
Saxton hit a three with 59 seconds to play but Kyle Daggett answered with a dunk to push the lead back to double-digits, 83-72. Jordan hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 13, 85-72 and sophomore Peyton Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) hit a jumper with 21 seconds to go to bring the score to its final, 85-74 in favor of Shepherd.
 
With five PSAC games left to play, the Huskies sit at eight in the Eastern division as they look for a playoff spot.
 
Bloomsburg returns home this Wednesday when the Huskies host Mansfield for a 7:30 p.m. contest inside Nelson Field House.