WBSK1-22

ESU-Bloomsburg Women's Basketball

BLOOMSBURG - Bloomsburg used a strong defensive effort in the second half, holding East Stroudsburg University without a field goal for more than nine minutes, en route to a 59-47 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division women's basketball victory Saturday night.

East Stroudsburg hung tough with the Eastern Division leaders throughout the first half and trailed by only two, 31-29 at the intermission.

But after the Warrriors' Amanda Buss tied the score at 31 early in the second half, Bloomsburg used a 9-2 run to grab a 40-33 lead. ESU came back to within three points at 40-37 with 10:44 remaining on back-to-back baskets by point guard Marie Schlegel and Buss.

That's when the Husky defense got stingy, however. Bloomsburg held ESU without a field goal over the next 9:37 to gain firm control of the game. The Huskies used a 15-2 run to take a 55-39 advantage.

Buss ended ESU's field goal drought with a layup with 1:07 remaining and Shannon Schwilk made two three-pointers in the final 28 seconds to finish with a team-high 15 points and extend her double-digit scoring streak to 22 straight games.

Jen Spinelli led a balanced Bloomsburg attack with 14 points, and Megan LaBuda and Morgan Banks added 11 apiece.

The loss dropped the Warriors to 8-9 overall and 1-3 in the PSAC. Bloomsburg leads the PSAC East with a 3-0 mark and is 9-6 overall.

Bloomsburg 59

Longo 3 0-0 6, LaBuda 5 1-2 11, Chapman 1 2-2 5, Spinelli 6 2-3 14, Bucher 4 0-1 8, Bryan 0 0-0 0, Straup 0 0-0 0, Banks 3 5-5 11, Yeasted 1 2-4 4. Totals: 23 12-17 59.

ESU 47

Schwilk 5 2-6 15, Kuhn 3 0-0 8, Schlegel 2 0-0 4, Pilenza 0 2-2 2, Buss 4 2-2 10, Ross 0 0-0 0, Hutchison 0 2-4 2, McLoughlin 1 4-4 6. Totals: 15 12-18 47.

Three-Point Goals: Bloom - Chapman; ESU - Schwilk 3, Kuhn 2

Halftime: Bloomsburg, 31-29