BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team fended off a late surge from West Chester to secure a 70-61 victory on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies (13-6, 7-5 PSAC) led for almost 38 of the 40 minutes in the contest, rocketing out to a 43-30 start in the second half, with the team shooting 8-for-16 (50 percent) from behind the arc in the first half. The Golden Rams (8-11, 5-7 PSAC) never relented on their home court, shutting down Bloomsburg in the third quarter and pulling within one possession in the fourth. Saturday's contest came down to critical free throw shooting, as the team shot 11-of-12 (91.7 percent) from the charity stripe to keep West Chester from completing the comeback.

Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) led the way offensively, racking up 19 points while shooting 4-for-8 from three and 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) at the free throw line. Kelly Leszcynski (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) joined her fellow starter with a productive shooting performance, matching her season best with 16 points while shooting 50 percent from the field (4-8) and three (3-6) and matching a 5-for-6 day at the line. Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) provided a reliable touch off the bench and in the game's closing moments. The senior tallied 16 points on the day, including going 9-for-9 at the free throw line. 

How It Happened: 
The game, through the first four minutes, was a back-and-forth between two rivals, with both sides responding to the calls of their opposition. After back-to-back makes in the paint, Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) stepped out to the perimeter for the first three of the game for the Huskies. The Golden Rams responded with four consecutive points in the paint to regain the lead at 7-6.

The next offensive possessions belonged to the Kale sisters, with Leah able to convert on free throws before Ella stepped back out for a mid-range jumper and a 9-8 advantage. L. Kale eventually opened up the first quarter with her first triple as part of an 8-0 run from Bloomsburg ended by Lesazcynski to force a West Chester timeout at 15-8. 

The threes continued to pour in after the timeout, with L. Kale and Stevenson added to a lead at 21-12. L. Kale showcased her diversity in skill set, driving to the rack before the Golden Rams closed the opening quarter on a 5-0 run to make it 23-17. In the first, the Huskies shot 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) from deep.

The second quarter reflected a more physical defensive approach from both sides, with no basket through the first two minutes of the quarter. Bloomsburg found its way to the free throw through the efforts of Maddie LaFrance (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Stevenson, setting up a 6-0 run ended by Stevenson with a layup through the first three minutes of the second. 

Leszcynski rattled off the next five points for Bloomsburg as West Chester cut the lead to under 10 points with four minutes before the half. L. Kale and Leszcynski's relentless start from behind the arc in the first half continued, with both players knocking down a three to help the Huskies take a 13-point advantage into the break. L. Kale led all scorers at the break with 15 points. 

The third quarter was a forgettable 10-minute stretch for Bloomsburg as the Golden Rams fought back into the contest and made it a five-point game going into the fourth. West Chester opened the second half on an 8-0 run for nearly six minutes until an and-one conversion from Stevenson broke the dry spell to make it a 46-38 game. The Golden Rams continued to capitalize on the Huskies' lull by netting the final four points of the third to send it into the fourth at 50-45.

Needing a wake-up call, Bloomsburg got off to a quick start in the fourth quarter with points on the first two possessions. Hampered by foul trouble, Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) got her first points of the game and of the fourth before LaFrance stepped out for avital three to push the lead back up to eight at 55-47. The relentless pressure forced the Huskies into mistakes, allowing the Golden Rams to claw back in and make it a two-possession contest.

After two minutes without any points, West Chester's Michelle Kozicki broke the deadlock to make it a 57-55 game with under five minutes to play. Bloomsburg took advantage of the Golden Rams' overly aggressive approach and converted it into opportunities at the free throw line. 

Following another make in the paint from Starr to keep it a four-point game, the Huskies turned their attention to the defensive end to the charity stripe. Bloomsburg kept West Chester to just two points in the final two minutes while going 9-of-10 from the free throw line. The ball remained in hot hands for the Huskies, with Kale, Leszcynski and Stevenson contributing to a stout final stretch on both ends of the court en route to the win.

Numbers of Note: 
300 - With her fifth assist of the game in the fourth quarter, E. Kale became just the 10th player in Bloomsburg women's basketball history to reach 300 in a career. The senior point guard currently sits 10th in program history in the category.

11-12 - A contributing factor to the Huskies' ability to close Saturday's game was the reliability found at the free throw line. Kale, Leszcynski and Stevenson combined to shoot 11-of-12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, with Leszcynski and Stevenson pairing to go 10-for-10.

10 - Bloomsburg's ability to get timely contributions from behind the arc provides added depth to the offensive game plan. The Huskies recorded 10 made threes for the third time this season and the second time in regulation. Bloomsburg is 2-1 in such games this season and 2-0 against PSAC East opponents. The Huskies finished Saturday with more three-point makes than two-pointers (9).

27-10 - One of the more troublesome points in the game was West Chester's capability to make Bloomsburg pay off the turnovers. Despite the two teams close in the stat (18 - Bloomsburg, 17 - West Chester), the Golden Rams managed to outscore the Huskies 27-10 off those turnovers.

On The Horizon:
The Huskies return to Nelson Field House at 5:30 on Wednesday, January 29, to wrap up the first half of the PSAC East slate against Lock Haven, the current East No. 1 seed.