BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Stagnant and struggling to score, Millersville turned to its defense, and that defense turned into offense. The Marauders closed the first half on a 14-0 run and held on for a 70-60 road win over Bloomsburg Wednesday night. 

Turnovers, especially in the first half, were the difference. The Marauders scored just six points in the game's first eight minutes but switch to a trapping, full-court press that significantly impacted Bloomsburg. Over the final 12 minutes of the half, Millersville forced 11 turnovers and held the Huskies to five points. Millersville went from trailing by two to a 29-17 lead at the half. Fifteen of those points came off of Bloomsburg turnovers. 

"Our issues are on offense," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "We just don't have a feel right now in the half court, so we tried to speed it up, get some turnovers and that got us a cushion at halftime. We got some easy buckets rather than having to earn it."

Bloomsburg handled the Millersville pressure in the second half and did not commit another turnover until 3:40 left in the game. That allowed the Huskies to hang around. Millersville extended its lead to 17 (42-25) with just over 14 minutes to play, but the Huskies cut the Marauders' lead down to as few as seven at 54-47 when Jake Nelson converted a three-point play. Justin Nwosu, however, halted the Huskies run with an and-one off an offensive rebound. Matt Dade then scored on three-straight possessions, including a three-point play of his own, to get Millersville's lead safely back into double-digits. 

"That's the plays Justin has to make," said Stitzel. "We know he's capable of making it, and that was huge to get it back to 10. That's what we need from our upperclassmen. That's a winning play."

Millersville's post players provided the bulk of offensive production in the half court. Dade led Millersville, matching a season-high with 21 points, and he was key late, operating one-on-one against Nelson, who was playing with four fouls. Nwosu provided a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Center Drew Stover added 15 points and six boards off the bench. 

"We had the better depth in the post," said Stitzel. "Matt had a good all around game and their big was in foul trouble. Matt did a good job of making the shots in the second half that he missed in the first half. Matt did a good job putting us on his back late in the game."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville out-rebounded the Huskies 40-33 and pounded the offensive glass, turning 17 offensive rebounds into 15 second chance points. 
• Dade gave Millersville its first 20-point scorer since Nov. 22. His career-high of 27 came against Bloomsburg last season. 
• Nwosu's double-double was his first of the season and 10th of his career. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville stays on the road with a trip to Shepherd on Saturday, Jan. 7.