Women's Basketball | 3/7/2025 2:30:00 PM
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Senior forward Katie Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) repeats as a first-team All-PSAC East selection, and head coach Alison Tagliaferri is named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Coach of the Year announced Friday by the conference.
Tagliaferri earns her second coach of the year honor in her tenure at the helm of the Bloomsburg women's basketball program, garnering the accolade during the 2018-19 season. The Huskies made the single-largest year-to-year jump from last season to this season, winning eight additional regular-season games, including five in the PSAC, to wrap up the regular season 17-11, 18-12 overall and finish third in the East. Bloomsburg was selected to finish sixth in the preseason poll. Tagliaferri helped the Huskies return to the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the 2021-22 season and first postseason win since the 2019-20 campaign. The 18 wins tie for the second most for Tagliaferri in her tenure.
The Huskies' turnaround is highlighted by a complete overhaul on defense. Bloomsburg ended the season holding its opponents to an average of 58.8 points per contest, an 8.2-point swing from a season ago. The defensive production puts the Huskies at the No. 53 scoring defense in the country. In addition to the improved scoring totals, Bloomsburg's on-ball defense excelled. The result was a substantial decrease in opponent shooting percentages, including 38.2 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from behind the arc, with the Huskies' three-point defense finishing fourth among teams with at least 25 games played in Division II. Bloomsburg is the only team to play a full season slate and surrender fewer than 90 three-point field goals. For reference, the Huskies' opponent field goal percentages during the 2023-24 season were 43.8 percent and 35.1 respectively.
Offensively, Bloomsburg improved five points year-to-year to 64.3 per game. That mark is the product of efficient, team-oriented play from the Huskies, ranking inside the top 50 in the country in field goal percentage (43.0 percent) and 53rd with 14.9 for the second-best mark in the conference.
Starr's second consecutive all-conference honors comes after another standout year for the Huskies. The Berwick, Pa. native is averaging 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this season. The post's presence had a distinctive impact defensively, helping steer the Bloomsburg defense in a positive direction. Starr's 70 steals and 36 blocks are career highs, and the Huskies reaped the benefits. The result is improvement on both ends of the court, with the Huskies averaging five more points per contest and surrendering over eight points less than last season.
Starr's skills were on showcase throughout the season, showing one of the best finishing touches in the country. The senior shot 56.8 percent from the floor this season on 301 shot attempts. While 62nd in the nation in made field goals (171), the post is tied for 11th nationally in field goal percentage. Starr is tied for fourth in field goal percentage among Division II players with 300 or more shots this season.
The senior's final season has seen the local star reach several milestones and climb the school record books. Starr eclipsed the 1000-point benchmark on December 7 as part of a 21-point performance in a 64-48 win over Slippery Rock. Her ascension in career totals has taken her to the No. 9 spot in team history, totaling 1,331 points and 742 rebounds. Starr is one of three players in program history in the top 10 in career points and rebounds.
