BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg women's basketball team wrapped up the opening weekend of conference play in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind win off a game-winning shot from Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) over Clarion, 81-79.

Kale only had one basket in the game but made it count, driving down the heart of the lane over a defender to ice the contest for the Huskies (2-5, 1-1 PSAC) and cap off a 17-point comeback. The visiting Golden Eagles fall to 0-6 on the year and 0-2 in conference play.

Allison Hileman (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) led all scorers on the day with 21 points, a career-high for the junior guard in the effort off the bench. Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) recorded her fifth game of the season with 20 or more points while notching her third double-double with three steals in the win. Bloomsburg scored a season-high 81 points Saturday afternoon.

How It Happened: 
The Huskies got off to a hot start to the game, going for 22 points and shooting four-of-eight (50.0 percent) from behind the arc. Bloomsburg opened with a 9-2 run through the opening four minutes in the game. Starr scored the first four of the game as the Huskies shooters settled in early.

Four players (Hileman, Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin), Maddie LaFrance (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity)) knocked down a triple in the first 10 minutes. Kirsch and LaFrance each had five points in the opening period, with the tandem knocking down the final two shots of the quarter to give Bloomsburg a 10-point edge heading into the second.

Clarion answered with a 20-point quarter of their own, scoring 21 points in the second. The two teams traded baskets into the closing moments of the half as Dominika Logue for the Golden Eagles sank a three to cut the visitors' deficit to 36-33 entering halftime. 

The third quarter did not go as planned for the Huskies would have liked, giving up a season-high 36 points in the period out of the break. Despite scoring 19 points in response, Bloomsburg only shot 29.4 percent compared to 64.7 percent from the visiting Golden Eagles. 

Hannah Wilkerson and Abby Gatesman carried Clarion in the third quarter, with the duo combining for 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles to a 14-point lead entering the final quarter. Several members of the Huskies were able to find a way on the scoresheet, led by Stevenson and Starr.

Bloomsburg again found its shooting form, using a resurgent fourth quarter to snatch a victory. With 8:42 left to play, Clarion jumped out to its largest lead of the game at 17. In under 30 seconds, Hileman scored the next five for the Huskies to jump-start the offense. With the lead again reaching 15 for the vising Golden Eagles, the Huskies continued to chip away at the deficit, with another five-point surge from Hileman cutting it to single digits. 

Starr and Hileman buoyed Bloomsburg's efforts back into the game, combing for the next seven points and making it a 79-76 game. With the Huskies' offense came elevated intensity and effort on the defensive end. Bloomsburg held Clarion to 10 points in the fourth on just four makes while forcing seven turnovers. 

With under 10 seconds in the game and coming out of the game, the Huskies ran a tremendous set play to free up LaFrance for a deep three to tie the game at 79-79. As the Golden Eagles looked to do the same, Starr intercepted the in-bound pass for the final of her three steals in the quarter to give Bloomsburg one last chance in regulation. After forcing a foul on the initial inbound, Kale again received the pass on the iso and drove home for the win. Hileman anchored the intensity for the Huskies, scoring 13 points with a triplet of triples in the fourth.

Bloomsburg proved effective in distributing the basketball as seven Huskies ended the afternoon with multiple assists. The Huskies matched season bests with 11 made three-pointers and 16 free throws. It is the first game for the Bloomsburg women's basketball team, scoring 80 points since November 24 against Seton Hill.

On the Horizon:
The Huskies make a trip to Philadelphia on Saturday, December 9, at 2:00 p.m. for its second matchup against a top-ten opponent this season against No. 8 Thomas Jefferson.