BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's basketball team responded to a midweek defeat and posted a well-earned 77-60 victory over Shippensburg at Nelson Field House on Saturday afternoon.
The Huskies (13-8, 8-6 PSAC) led for over 39 minutes against the Raiders (8-12, 5-9 PSAC) and held a double-digit advantage for most of the action. Bloomsburg was bolstered by a tremendous shooting effort from the three-point line, with the team shooting 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from deep. The Huskies got several contributions from their bench, leading to a 28-7 difference in bench scoring for Bloomsburg.
Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) led all scorers, including four double-digit performers, Saturday, totaling 20 points on 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) shooting from the field and an 8-of-9 (88.9 percent) day from the free throw line, along with six rebounds and two blocks. Maddie LaFrance (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) had her best game of the season Saturday, posting a season-best 15 points while setting a career-high with seven rebounds and matching a career-best with three assists. Leah Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) provided a reliable offensive performance, notching 13 points and four rebounds while making 3-of-5 attempts from behind the arc. Ava Stevenson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) joined LaFrance off the bench and rounded out the list of Huskies in double figures. Stevenson went 3-of-4 from three-point range with a game-high five assists and three rebounds to her totals.
How It Happened:
Bloomsburg had things working from the opening whistle, opening the contest with a 24-13 first quarter. Ella Kale (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) finished the first possession with a mid-range jumper before her sister knocked down her own attempt inside the arc for a 4-2 lead. From that point onward, the Huskies would hold onto the lead without a tie or lead change.
Starr scored the next eight points for Bloomsburg as Shippensburg looked to keep the Huskies within two possessions. Through the final four minutes of the opening quarter, Bloomsburg outscored the Raiders 14-5 as LaFrance and Stevenson took over from behind the arc. The tandem made a pair apiece for a perfect four-of-four stretch inside the final three minutes of the first to put the Huskies on top, 24-13.
Shippensburg looked to keep pace with the Huskies as the two sides matched offensive output deep into the second quarter. Four different players scored for Bloomsburg before Kelly Leszcynski (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) knocked down her lone three of the game with under four minutes before halftime. L. Kale followed Leszcynski's lead with her first three to a then-game-high 14-point advantage. Following four makes at the free throw line by the Raiders, Kash Santos (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) found a pocket of space for two points in the paint. On Bloomsburg's final possession of the half, the Huskies did not break away from what was working, finding LaFrance from deep to send Bloomsburg up 43-30 at the half.
A 10-5 stretch through the first five minutes of the second half provided a spark of life for Shippensburg after a frustrating first half. The Raiders cut the game to 48-40, the eight-point deficit being the lowest in nearly 14 minutes of game time. Bloomsburg was awakened by the energy of LaFrance, with the guard going off the bounce and into the lane for a slick two to break through the cold start to the third quarter.
Starr soon found her avenue into the second half, scoring the next five points for Bloomsburg to return the game to the halftime difference of 13 points. Stevenson was the next to take on the mantle on the offensive end, converting on two free throws before knocking down a triple for a new game-high lead of 17. The Raiders would find three more points before the end of the quarter to make it a 60-46 game with 10 minutes of remaining action.
Managing the lead, the Huskies took their time to ensure the best possible looks and avoid unforced errors. L. Kale would be the only player for Bloomsburg to make a field goal in the fourth quarter, opening the fourth from three before putting a bookend on the quarter and final statement on the game from behind the arc. The Huskies offensively were 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) from the charity stripe in the eight minutes between the three-point field goals. Entering the fourth quarter, Bloomsburg trailed in free throw attempts by a margin of 20-3 after not having a single try in the first half.
Starr finished the quarter 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) from the line after missing her first attempt, leading all players in the quarter with seven points. E. Kale (2), LaFrance (1) and Alison Hatajik (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) (1) also converted from the free throw line, allowing the Huskies to ice the game in methodical form.
Numbers of Note:
11-0 - A prominent factor in Saturday's win was a tremendous shooting day from behind the arc for the Huskies. As a team, Bloomsburg made 11 threes to 0 for Shippensburg in the contest.
18-4 - The ball movement from the Huskies kept the Raiders trailing on the defensive end all night. Bloomsburg finished with an 18-4 advantage in the assist category against Shippensburg. The Huskies recorded an assist on over 69 percent of their baskets.
+6 - Bloomsburg has struggled at times this season to keep up with opponents in the rebounding department, but that was not the case on Saturday. The Huskies finished with a +6 margin on the glass, 33-27. It marked the first time Bloomsburg won the battle since January 8 against Millersville.
On The Horizon:
Bloomsburg begins a two-game road stretch Wednesday, February 5, at 5:30 p.m., when it plays Mansfield.
