MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Saraj Ali scored 21 points, leading five Marauders in double figures, and the Millersville men's basketball team used lights-out shooting in the second half to pull away from Bloomsburg in an 88-68 win Wednesday night in Pucillo Gymnasium. 

Ali, who missed Millersville's last game with an injury, returned to the lineup with his fifth 20-plus point performance of the season, making 8 of 12 shots from the field, 5 of 5 from the line while contributing a team-high seven rebounds. He scored 11 of those points as Millersville shot a blistering 22 of 30 (.733) from the field in the second half. 

"(Saraj) is our second-leading scorer, but we don't run a lot for him," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "He's around the ball all the time. It's great to get him back. We keep pushing him with his defense, rebounding, intangibles, and leadership. I think he can be a defensive player of the year candidate with his ability."

Aamir Hurst scored 16 points, giving him three consecutive double-digit scoring games since entering the starting lineup. Aiden Gair's 15 put him in double figures for the 10th game in a row. Jahme Ested scored 10 of his 12 in the second half, and Drew Stover finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five blocks and a team-high four assists. 

While Millersville led the game wire-to-wire, the Huskies' switch to a 2-3 zone slowed Millersville's offense late in the first half. Bloomsburg cut Millersville's lead down to 31-30 before the Marauders closed the half on an 8-4 run to build a 39-34 halftime lead. The Huskies went away from the zone early in the second half and Millersville took advantage, scoring on the first three possessions, and when Bloomsburg went back to it, Millersville solved it with Stover finding open shooters out of the high post and Ali slashing to the basket. 

"They do a good job with the zone," said Stitzel. "We got a little frantic with it in the first half. When they went to it in the second half we got it into the middle and skipped it for an open three, got Drew in the short corner, and let Saraj attack out of the middle."

Millersville out-scored the Huskies 49-34 over the final 20 minutes. 

Millersville blocked a season-high 10 shots. In addition to Stover's five. Hurst blocked three, and Gair and Ali both blocked one. Bloomsburg made 8 of 20 3-pointers and has now made at least eight in seven straight games. The 3-point shooting kept the Huskies close early, but Millersville adjusted its defense in the second half. 

"We have played some teams that haven't been great shooting teams," said Stitzel. "Bloom's greatest strength is their ability to make shots. We adjusted a little too late in getting them off the line and funneling them to Drew and Saraj, and our guards can block shots. They wanted to shoot threes, and we needed to make them take tough twos."

Millersville has won three in a row and eight of the last 10. Now 11-2 at home, Millersville's last four home wins have all been by at least 13 points. Millersville plays two of its final three games at home, including Saturday's match-up against Lock Haven. Tip is set for 3 p.m.