BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team fought until the end to capture a 67-66 victory over No. 22/RV Jefferson at Nelson Field House Sunday afternoon.

Sunday's contest came down to the final seconds, with the Huskies (6-3, 1-2 PSAC) willing their way to a second-consecutive victory over the Rams (6-4, 1-1 CACC). Jefferson's Tori Nigro dribbled the ball into the halfcourt before decisively driving into the lane and getting past a defender to give her team a lead with 30 seconds on the game clock. Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) took the ball into her hands and a strong driving effort into the paint, but her attempt rattled off the iron. However, senior forward Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) tracked the ball well off the miss and came down with the offensive rebound and putback layup to put Bloomsburg up 67-66 with less than 15 seconds to play. 

Needing a stop, the on-ball pressure from Kelly Leszcynski (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) and help defense from Kash Santos (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) forced Nigro to make an errant pass. The game stalled for an extended period after the call on the floor initially kept possession with the Rams. However, after review, the call on the floor was overturned, and possession went to the Huskies. Jefferson made several attempts to get the ball back. But all the visitors could do was foul as time expired on another win for Bloomsburg.

The Huskies got efficient play Sunday from starters Starr and Alison Hatajik (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) in the post. Starr led all players in the game with 20 points, shooting 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from the field with nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists. Hatajik finished second on the team with a career-best 13 points, going 5-for-7 (71.4 percent) from the field and chipping in a block and steal. 

How It Happened: 
The two sides went back and forth through the first quarter, taking turns with the lead through various contributors. The Rams held a four-point advantage through the first three minutes before looking inside to Starr and Hatajik to tie the game at 6-6. 

The lead exchange continued, with Bloomsburg able to create some breathing room in part to three-point makes from L. Kale and Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) to make it 12-11 with a minute to play in the first quarter. Santos converted on the offensive end for a three-point advantage before a defensive stop from the Huskies kept the game 14-11 heading into the second.

The Huskies' largest lead of the night came at 8:18 in the second quarter, following a make in the paint from Starr. After another exchange of points eventually led to Jefferson tying the game at 20-20, Bloomsburg mustered a five-point run of its own to grab a 25-20 advantage with two minutes before the break. Jefferson found a rhythm in the final minutes of the first half, rattling off a 7-0 run in a minute to grab a 27-25 lead. The score reflected the performance on the court, with Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) able to get inside for two points and make it a 27-27 contest with 20 minutes to play.

The Rams came out aggressive to begin the third quarter, both in their offense and with the approach on the offensive glass. Jefferson converted that amplified tenacity into a 13-4 run through the first five minutes of the second half and grabbed a 40-30 lead. 

Stevenson and L. Kale helped the Huskies claw out of the third-quarter deficit with a strong tandem offensive performance. Stevenson got Bloomsburg back within single digits before Kale went coast-to-coast off a rebound to make it a six-point contest. After an inside make for Jefferson, L. Kale found space on the perimeter to knock down a three. The point exchange continued to favor the Huskies, as Stevenson drained a triple of her own after a free throw from the Rams to cut the lead to three. Bloomsburg's 11-3 run, powered by Stevenson and L. Kale, led to a 47-43 score in favor of the visitors entering the fourth quarter. 

Despite a solid offensive performance from Jefferson in the fourth (8-for-17, 47.1 percent from the floor), the Huskies found another gear in their comeback effort. Trailing by six with 9:38 on the clock, Bloomsburg began to run in the open court and took advantage of a tiring Jefferson defense tracking back. The Huskies recorded nine consecutive points in transition, with Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) and Leszcynski initiating the pace with well-placed outlet passes down the court to retake the lead at 52-51.

The two teams continued to trade baskets through the middle portions of the quarter, with the game not able to get out of a one-possession game. With the game knotted up at 62-62, Bloomsburg continued to push the tempo and kept the Rams on their feed with constant motion. The confusion led to Leszcynski getting open from behind the arc to give her team a 65-62 lead with under 90 seconds to play. Despite Jefferson taking the lead with 30 seconds, the Huskies proved they wanted the final result more on both ends of the court, coming up with the necessary hustle plays to come away with the win. 

Numbers of Note: 
7 - Bloomsburg got tremendous production and vision from its lead ball handlers, E. Kale and Leszcynski. The two guards combined for seven assists each. For Kale, it is her third game this season and 10th in her career with at least seven assists, while Leszcynski's seven are a new career high for the redshirt sophomore.

11-15 - Trailing by four entering the fourth quarter, the Huskies need a valiant display to come away with a win. Bloomsburg showed up when it mattered most, shooting 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) from the floor in the final quarter en route to the victory. 

19-2 - Another key difference in Sunday's contest was the ability to get contributions from the bench. The Huskies finished with 19 bench points compared to the Rams' two. 

2 - Bloomsburg has now won its last two games over a ranked Jefferson side, coming away with the win Sunday afternoon after getting the best of a 3OT game on the road a season ago against the then-No. 6 Rams, 107-97, in Philadelphia. 

On The Horizon:
The Huskies have a quick turnaround, jumping into a crossover matchup on the road against California (Pa.) at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 17.