CLARION, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team could not hang on in a 104-99 overtime defeat to Clarion Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies (3-3, 0-2 PSAC) fought back from a 10-point deficit at halftime to eventually tie the game at 61-61 heading into the fourth. Bloomsburg was up by as many as eight with 75 seconds in regulation. The relentless pressure from the Golden Eagles (6-1, 2-0 PSAC) prevailed, forcing overtime and eventually securing the win. 

Offensively, Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) finished with a team-high 42 points in the contest. Starr did her damage from the paint, going 7-of-10 from the field and finishing 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) on free throws. The forward added a season-high five steals with three rebounds and three assists. Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) set a new career-best scoring total for the second time this week, ending with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and a 6-of-13 (46.1 percent) performance from behind the arc. The wing recorded a career-high five assists to go with three rebounds. 

How It Happened: 
Bloomsburg and Clarion went back and forth through the opening portions of the first quarter, trading baskets at a rapid pace. The Huskies got out in front first, using excellent passing and movement to the basket to get clean looks. Starr and Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) each had four points, while Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) added two points and an assist on the team's first three made baskets for an early 10-4 advantage.

The team speed from the Golden Eagles began to showcase itself, allowing the team to gain its first lead at 11-10 and surge forward behind leading-scorer Taylor Autumn. Clarion's lead guard went on a 9-0 run on her own, knocking down three three-point attempts to help the home side close out the quarter with a 31-21 advantage.

Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove), the third Bloomsburg player with 20 points on the day, looked to spark a rally with a quarter-opening three. The Golden Eagles did well to counter the effort, maintaining a double-digit lead through the first five minutes of the quarter. Starr recorded a four-point stretch on her own, nearing the three-minute mark of the quarter. A quick burst from Clarion saw the Golden Eagles up with 1:04 remaining in the first half. With another trip to the line, Starr notched two points while Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) knocked down a triple on the Huskies' last offensive possession to make it 47-37 at the half.

The second half started in a defensive struggle, with neither team able to make a basket through the first four-and-a-half minutes out of the break. Bloomsburg, continuing to attack the paint, managed to chip away at the double-digit point deficit with trips to the charity stripe, cutting Clarion's advantage down to four. Stevenson's strong performance from the three-point line showed up in the third, with a pair of makes to make it a 52-51 game with over four to play in the third. On the next possession, the senior gave the Huskies their first lead of the game since the first quarter with another three for a 54-52 ball game. The two teams closed out the quarter grittily as free throws from the Golden Eagles tied the game at 61-61 with 10 minutes to play in regulation. 

The fourth quarter intensity swirled in the ensuing minutes, with the two sides trading baskets and the lead at several points. With Clarion up 69-66, L. Kale set off a 14-0 run, scoring 12 points on her own. The sophomore recorded six consecutive points for Bloomsburg to give her team a 72-69 lead before handing the keys to Kash Santos (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) for a jumper. L. Kale went in with another six points, closing the stretch with a three to give her side an eventual 84-73 lead nearing two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Huskies' half-court offense took a turn after L. Kale fouled out of the contest, with the team only getting one point in the closing moments of regulation. The issues to generate looks provided the opportunity for the Golden Eagles to get back into the contest, taking advantage of being in the bonus by continuously attacking the rim. With 11 seconds on the clock and coming out of the timeout, Bloomsburg looked for a clean inbound to close the game. A timely steal and determined effort by Clarion's Tearra Cook allowed the Golden Eagles to go coast to coast and force overtime. 

Turnovers continued to plague the Huskies heading into the extra five-minute period, with another two lost possessions allowing the Golden Eagles to start with a 90-85 head start 1:20 into the period. Stevenson knocked down another triple to make it a one-possession contest. Still, Clarion's Taylor Autumn had the answer with five points to keep the Huskies from inching closer. In the closing moments, Bloomsburg's foul trouble and turnovers curtailed hopes of overcoming a deficit for a second time.

Numbers of Note: 
2 - Bloomsburg had its chances to close out Saturday's contest but could not find the opening against a hounding Clarion defense. The Huskies had two critical turnovers in the final 20 seconds, leading to the final four points to force overtime. The Golden Eagles followed it up, forcing another two miscues to start the overtime period. 

28-8 - The overall team speed from the Golden Eagles wreaked havoc for Bloomsburg all afternoon. Clarion got downhill throughout the game, leading to a 28-8 advantage in fastbreak scoring.

56.4/50/87.5 - The combined shooting performance from the Huskies' top-three scorers was impressive. The trio shot over 50 percent from the field and was efficient in all phases. The Huskies shot 50.7 percent from the floor as a team but finished 23-33 (69.7 percent) at the line.

10 - E. Kale continues to provide playmaking ability as the lead guard. The senior finished with 10 assists Saturday for her third-career game with double-digit dimes.

On The Horizon:
The Huskies host their first home game of the season on Tuesday, November 26, at 5:30 p.m. against Holy Family.