CALIFORNIA, Pa. - Second-half mishaps led to a 65-60 road defeat for Bloomsburg women's basketball against California (Pa.) Tuesday afternoon.
The Huskies (6-4, 1-3 PSAC) held a 41-23 advantage entering halftime, and a tumultuous third quarter opened the door for the Vulcans' (6-5, 3-2 PSAC) comeback effort on their home court with a 42-19 discrepancy through the final 20 minutes. In addition to a well-timed defensive shift by California (Pa.), the Vulcans benefited from a 10-2 discrepancy from the whistle.
Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) was the leader on the court for Bloomsburg, going for a season-high 29 points while securing 10 rebounds and adding two steals and a block to her tallies. The double-double is the forward's second of the season and 14th of her career. Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) was the lone other Husky in double figures, notching 10 points while recording three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
How It Happened:
California (Pa.) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first quarter before Bloomsburg settled into the opening quarter. With the game knotted at 7-7, the Huskies opened up to a 13-7 lead as part of an 8-0 run. Bloomsburg knocked down a pair of jumpers before Starr and Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) connected on a pair of paint feeds. The Huskies closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run, holding the Vulcans without a field goal for the final 4:20 of the first quarter to snag a 23-12 advantage.
Bloomsburg's defensive effort continued to pay dividends into the second quarter, with California (Pa.) going on a near-eight-minute stretch of game time without a make from the field, leading to a 28-12 edge lead with seven minutes remaining in the half. The Huskies maintained the pressure on the Vulcans, reaching a game-high 20-point lead with 2:55 in the opening half behind eight straight points from Starr. California (Pa.) knocked Bloomsburg's halftime advantage down to 18 with a layup in the final seconds of the half following a three-pointer from Stevenson.
Bloomsburg's fortunes turned for the worst in the third quarter, with the team unable to adjust to a zone look presented by the Vulcans' defense. That change for the home side took the Huskies off their game, leading to 10 turnovers in the quarter. The self-inflicted wounds compounded with 10 team fouls, allowing California (Pa.) to go 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) from the line in the third. Overall, the Vulcans outscored the Huskies 24-10, cutting a previous 18-point advantage to four at 51-47.
California (Pa.) carried the momentum into the fourth quarter with a 5-0 stretch to grab its first lead since the first at 52-51. Bloomsburg answered to regain the lead for a short time before another eight-point run from the Vulcans gave the home team a 60-53 advantage. California (Pa.) kept the Huskies in check for over five minutes until Starr broke the drought with an and-one conversion to cut the deficit to four.
Bloomsburg rallied to force the tie behind another nifty paint move from Starr and pivotal free throws from Stevenson at 60-60. California (Pa.) got a timely three in the corner. That bucket proved to be the dagger, with the Huskies unable to close the cap in the closing moments.
Numbers of Note:
10 - The third quarter was marred by miscues protecting the basketball. Despite shooting 50 percent from the floor in the quarter, Bloomsburg only managed six shots due to 10 turnovers.
23.1 - After shooting 19-for-38 through the first 30 minutes of the contest, the Huskies offense stalled in the closing minutes as the team was 3-of-13 (23.1 percent) from the field.
21-14 - Bloomsburg's fast start in the first half was attributed to playing at its own tempo and preventing extra possessions for California (Pa.). The Huskies surrendered a 21-14 edge on the glass, featuring an 11-2 difference on the offensive boards in the second half.
On the Horizon:
The Bloomsburg women's basketball plays its final game before the winter break at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, at Nelson Field House against Edinboro.
