BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team fought against adversity to come away with a 58-56 overtime victory over Shepherd Wednesday evening.
Trailing after the first quarter, the Huskies (12-6, 6-5 PSAC) looked to have established themselves in the contest with an 18-8 second quarter to take a 28-20 lead into halftime. Despite seeing that lead reach double digits twice, the Rams (4-14, 1-11 PSAC) proved to be a thorn in the side of the Bloomsburg women's basketball team, eventually taking a 41-40 lead into the final quarter of regulation. With their backs against the wall in the closing moments, the Huskies managed to force overtime, generating enough stops in the final five minutes and knocking down several clutch free throws to come out on top.
Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) finished as the leader for the Huskies, playing a game-high 43 minutes and registering 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals on the night. Starr led all scorers on the night and totaled the most points of any player in the extra five minutes with four. Alison Hatajik (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) added to the depth of Bloomsburg's frontcourt capabilities, finishing as the only other Husky in double figures with 10 points while grabbing eight rebounds and tallying two assists and a steal. Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) battled through early-game setbacks to provide six points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block from the lead guard spot.
How It Happened:
Bloomsburg started quickly on Wednesday with five points through its first two possessions. Hatajik found Kelly Leszcynski (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) open on the wing for a triple on the wing before finding a pocket in the paint off a feed from her post partner in Starr for a bucket of her own. The Huskies' offense stalled for the next six minutes, not registering their next point until the 3:11 mark in the opening quarter. This opening allowed Shepherd to take its first lead of the game with 3:54 on the clock in the first.
Starr and E. Kale connected on one of their patented fastbreak sequences to shift the lead back to the home side. It was not long following that play that the Rams built a 10-7 advantage with under two minutes remaining in the quarter. Bloomsburg's efforts at the free throw, with contributions from Hatajik and Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity), tied the game at 10-10, only for the Rams to score on their final half-court set for a 12-10 edge.
Hatajik got things running again for the Huskies on the offensive end of the floor, netting the first points of the second before Lauren Kirsch (Palmyra, Pa./Lower Dauphin) regained the lead for the team with her first triple of the game. Kirsch provided another conversion from deep, giving her six consecutive points for the Huskies and the team an 18-14 lead.
A stout defensive effort from Bloomsburg allowed the Huskies to slowly build their lead despite the offense not firing on all cylinders. Bloomsburg kept Shepherd without a make from the floor for nearly seven minutes in the second quarter between 8:26 and 1:40, providing leeway for the Huskies' lead to reach a game-high 12 with 2:06 before the break. The visitors kept things interesting for Bloomsburg, scoring the final four points of the half to make it an eight-point game through the first 20 minutes of action.
After what seemed like a woeful offensive performance in the half for the Rams, the visitors turned it up a notch out of the break to test the Huskies' resolve. After a couple of early baskets from Bloomsburg, Shepherd went on a 15-1 run in the third quarter to grab a 40-33 advantage.
The barren stretch ended with a needed three-point make from Stevenson, setting up a strong close to the quarter for the Huskies. E. Kale followed up her teammate's spark with a pull-up jumper in the lane. Hatajik gave Bloomsburg a great look on its final offensive possession of the quarter to cut the game to 41-40.
Physical defense from both sides perpetuated down the final stretch of regulation and continued to make things interesting. Shaking off some rust, Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) provided a vital three-pointer to regain the lead for the Huskies. The Rams delivered on the following possession from behind the arc to snag the lead right back. The pace of the game slowed, with every possession adding to the mounting tension of the clash. The Rams managed to work ahead by multiple possessions, forcing Bloomsburg to chase on its home court.
Starr generated the first momentum push for the Huskies with a strong open run in transition off a rebound, finding the time and space to set up Leszcynski for a long two-point shot. L. Kale again delivered pivotal points, converting from the free throw line to provide Bloomsburg with new life. The Huskies had one final chance at points with 0.7 left in regulation, as an inbound play just missed its mark to lead to an overtime period.
Needing a consistent source, Bloomsburg turned to Starr for offensive output. The senior forward generated the first four points of overtime to keep her team afloat. In a game with slim margins for error, Bloomsburg rose to the occasion when it mattered most, scoring its final four points from the free throw line. On the final possession of the contest, Shepherd bolted up the court, with a last-ditch heave from behind the arc coming up short of the mark.
Numbers of Note:
39.1 - While the Huskies' defense played an important role in Wednesday's result, Bloomsburg might have gotten the most help from its opponent. Shepherd shot 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from the free throw line as a team.
7-1 - Nelson Field House has been a place of comfort and strength for the Huskies this season. To this point, Bloomsburg is 7-1 in home games. The Huskies are 4-1 against PSAC opponents at home, including the three East opponents to touch the hardwood. Bloomsburg additionally has a victory over a ranked Jefferson squad this season and a Holy Family team ranked 18th in the D2CSC Media Poll. The seven wins are the most at home by the Huskies since the 2021-22 season.
On The Horizon:
The Huskies are back on the road for a weekend matchup on Saturday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m. against West Chester.
