BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg women's basketball team dropped a gritty game on the road to Millersville, 62-59, Saturday afternoon.

Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) and Alison Hatajik (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) led the way for the Huskies with 12 points apiece. Starr corraled eight rebounds and recorded three steals, with her four-of-seven (57.1 percent) shooting from the floor. Hatajik was efficient from the field, shooting four-of-five (80 percent) while going four-of-four from the line. Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) matched a career-high and led the team with six assists.

Bloomsburg falls to 4-11 overall and 2-7 in PSAC action. The Marauders improve to 6-8 on the season with a 4-4 record in conference play.

How It Happened: 
The Huskies looked to recover from a slow start in the contest, falling behind early on the road. Millersville got off to a quick 9-2 run through the opening three minutes of the contest due to turnover-ridden play and lackluster shooting. Kirsch broke the scoring drought for Bloomsburg with a three to make it a 9-5 game. 

The Huskies' defense kept the game within reach while looking to establish a rhythm on the offensive end. After a pair of free throws from Starr, Bloomsburg trailed 15-11 after the first quarter. 

Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) opened the second on the assertive front, looking to erase the deficit with a layup at 9:25 to make it a one-possession game. Chase Purdy (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) helped do the same in an exchange of shots in the first few minutes. The Marauders extended their lead to seven before Maddie LaFrance (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) cut off an emerging Millersville run to keep it at a 22-18 contest. 

Hatajik closed out the half carrying the offensive load for the Huskies with the final six points recorded for the team in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 30-24 as the Bloomsburg ended the half trailing 33-24. The Huskies shot 9-of-27 from the floor (33.3 percent) with 11 turnovers in the first half. 

The Huskies reversed their fortunes on the offensive end with revitalized shooting form in the third quarter. Starr looked to get going in the second half and got off on the right foot with the first basket of the half. The aggressiveness on offense paid off with a 9-0 run to cut it to a 36-35 game at the 5:25 mark. Allison Hileman (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) gave Bloomsburg its first lead at 40-38 with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter. 

The two sides went back and forth, taking turns with the lead in the ensuing minutes. Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) wrapped up the quarter with a midrange jumper at the buzzer to give the Huskies their largest lead at 49-46 entering the final 10 minutes of play. In the third quarter, Bloomsburg shot 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc to erase its deficit.

Shooting struggles returned for the Huskies, leading to defeat in the end. Both teams were sluggish in the opening three minutes, but Millersville powered through for two critical baskets to reclaim a 50-49 lead. Starr and Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) knocked down their respective shots in a minute-long flurry of points between the two teams, making it a 54-54 game with 6:00 minutes left in the fourth.

Bloomsburg regained the lead off a pair of free throws from E. Kale that would help to a 56-54 edge. The Huskies could not hold on to that advantage as Millersville rattled off a 7-0 run capped off with a minute left to play that would clinch the win for the home side.

The Bloomsburg post players (Hatajik, Starr and Purdy) combined for 30 of the team's 59 points while shooting 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the field. 

On the Horizon:
The Huskies return to Nelson Field House on Saturday, January 20, at 1:00 p.m. for a PSAC matchup with Kutztown.