FAIRMONT, W. Va. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season on Saturday in a 78-60 result on the road against No. 11 Fairmont State.

The Huskies (3-1) kept things within a one-possession game for much of the first half, including taking a 19-17 lead after the first quarter. The Falcons (4-0) put their foot on the gas in the closing moments of the first half and through the third quarter, outpacing Bloomsburg 42-23 in those two quarters to settle into the victory.

Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) finished the day as the Huskies' leader in points, totaling 12 with three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) finished with nine points and five rebounds on a day where the fifth-year guard felt the pressure from Fairmont State's defense. 

How It Happened:
Bloomsburg got off to a nice start in Saturday's contest, finding themselves up by as many as eight in the first quarter. Kale, Stevenson, and Alison Hatajik (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) were providing the production on the offensive end in the first several minutes, combining for the team's first 10 points at a 10-6 advantage through the first four minutes of action. 

Stevenson would pass things off to Lex Ferguson (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) for the forward's first points of the game to extend the lead. Maddie LaFrance (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) would step out behind the arc for the team's lone three-pointer in the quarter to give the Huskies a 15-7 advantage. The Falcons would respond to the deficit by erasing Bloomsburg's built-up lead with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 15-15. LaFrance and Hatajik would provide the Huskies with two baskets inside the final minute to hold a 19-17 lead after one quarter played.

Bloomsburg would once again manage to build up a two-possession lead in the early proceedings of the second quarter before a quick spurt by Fairmont State saw the home team reclaim the lead for the first time since making the first basket of the contest, coming at a 26-25 with over six minutes to play in the half. The two sides would trade the lead on the next several possessions. However, the Falcons began to pull away in the final moments, despite the Huskies' best efforts, and took a seven-point lead into halftime. 

Bloomsburg did well in the first two minutes to pull it back to a one-possession game at 40-37. That is where the game would be closest in score for the remainder of the contest, as Fairmont State put its foot down in the third quarter. The Falcons would go on a six-minute-long, 16-1 run to stymie the Huskies' efforts at pulling off the upset. Stevenson would end the drought from the field with a fast break layup, but that bucket would be the final shot from the floor for the team in the quarter, managing just two more points from the free throw line.

Guards Maddison Maynard (Lansford, Pa./Panther Valley) and Olivia Selverian (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) provided Bloomsburg with signs of life on the offensive end through the early portion of the fourth quarter. Maynard had six of the team's first eight points in the fourth, while Selverian sank her first career basket to keep her side in the fight. Kale would score eight of the team's final 10 points in the game, with Selverian chipping in at the free throw line for two, as time expired on the Huskies' first defeat of the season.

Numbers of Note: 
22 - A testament to Bloomsburg women's basketball's start this year was the ability to protect the basketball. Against a hyper-aggressive Fairmont State defense, the Huskies committed a season-high 22 rebounds on Saturday after giving up just 34 in their previous three contests. 

76-60 - The Falcons' relentless play on Saturday gave the home team a clear advantage. The No. 11 team in the nation finished with a 76-60 advantage in shots on the day. Bloomsburg finished the contest with a better shooting percentage (.400-.382), but the extra opportunities piled up against the Huskies.

6.5 - Redshirt junior guard Kelly Leszcynski (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) has stepped into a nice role as Bloomsburg's primary distributor. Through her first four games this seaosn, the guard has recorded 26 assists, averaging 6.5 per contest. In 30 games last seaosn, Leszcynski finished with 66 assists. The guards passing abilities will likely continue to feature for the Huskies throughout the season.

On the Horizon:
The Huskies are back at Nelson Field House on Tuesday, November 25, at 5:30 p.m. against Lincoln.