Bloomsburg Women's Basketball Loses to Millersville

BLOOMSBURG—Despite 16 points from Michelle Albanese (Wilmington, DE/St. Mark's) the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team lost to Millersville, 56-54, on Saturday night.

The Marauders rallied from 18 down in the second half to clinch the top spot in the PSAC Eastern Division with the win. The Huskies will go into next week's PSAC playoffs as the third seed.

The team's played on near even terms for the first nine minutes of the game. Bloomsburg did take a 9-6 lead on a three-pointer by Meggi Rothermel (Minersville/Nativity BVM) with 16:19 left in the half before the Marauders came back and took a 10-9 lead after two free throws from Jayeneca Bailey with 15:36 to play.

Bloomsburg then put together a 20-5 run over the next 10 minutes to take a 29-15 lead. The Huskies got nine points from Albanese, who hit three, three-pointers in the run, and four from Jamie Kauczka (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West). Freshman Angel Maladondo-Huff (Willow Grove/Abington) also drained a three-pointer in the run for the Huskies.

Millersville hit back-to-back baskets to make it a 10-point game at 29-19, before a layup from Kauczka and a jumper and two free throws from Dana Thompson (Pocono Lake/Allentown, NJ) gave the Huskies their biggest lead of the night at 35-19 with 21 seconds to play. Bloomsburg then went into the locker room with a 13-point lead, 35-22, after the Marauders' Bailey hit three free throws in the final six seconds of the half.

In the second half, Bloomsburg scored the first five points of the half on a jumper from Thompson and a three-pointer from Rothermel to give the Huskies an 18-point lead, 40-22., with 18:41 to play.

The Marauders then went on a 13-0 run over the next four minutes, led by seven points from Kristy Garner and six from Braden Lippy, to make it a 40-35 game.

Albanese hit a three-pointer for Bloomsburg to get the lead back to eight, 43-35 at the 12:26 mark.

After Millersville got back within four points at 43-39, the Huskies got used a 7-2 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Kelly Burkhart (Sayre/Athens) for a 50-41 lead with 8:50 to play.

Milllersville then put together a run of nine points to tie the game at 50-50 after a basket by Bailey with 4:25 to go in the game.

Rothermel broke the tie for the Huskies with a pair of free throws with 2:37 to play. Millersville tied the game at 52-52 with 1:46 to play on two free throws from Destiny Parker-Stewart. The Huskies took then regained on its next possession when Albanese hit a pair of free throws with 1:20 to play for a 54-52 lead.

Bailey was then fouled with 47 seconds left and missed both free throws. However on the play, the Marauders' NaTasha Howard rebounded the miss and scored to tie the game at 54-all.

The Huskies' then came down and missed a jumper with 18 seconds to play with Kristy Garner rebounding and getting fouled for Millersville. Garner hit both free throws with 15 seconds remaining and leaving the Huskies with one final shot to tie or win the game.

The Huskies then came down and had a three-point attempt by Thompson go off the rim as well as a follow-up from Jamie Kauczka before time expired giving the Marauders the victory.

Along with 16 points for Albanese, Bloomsburg, 12-12, 6-6 PSAC East, got 10 points from Dana Thompson and eight points from Kauczka.

Millersville, 18-8, 11-1 PSAC East, got a game-high 22 points from Garner.

The Huskies will play a PSAC quarterfinal game on Tuesday at West Chester at a time to be determined.