SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University basketball teams will begin PSAC Eastern Division play on Wednesday night from Heiges Field House with matchups against the Huskies of Bloomsburg University. The women's tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. while the men will start 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.

WOMEN: Shippensburg (6-6, 3-5 PSAC) enters the game in fourth place in the Eastern Division, one game ahead of East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. The Raiders consistently battled the teams in the Western Division early in the season, losing only one game by double digits and posting an average margin of defeat of just 5.1 points.

The Raiders lead the PSAC and ranks eighth in Division II for free-throw percentage, converting 78.2 percent of their opportunities from the charity stripe. Junior Shawna Wert leads the PSAC with 74 made free throws and ranks seventh in percentage (84.1). Junior teammate Dana Wert is sixth with an 84.9 percent rate at the line (62-of-73).

SU is also improving its effectiveness from outside, shooting 35.5 percent from three-point range (38th in Division II). A primary contributor to that ranking is the recent success of sophomore Sarah Strybuc, who is now shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range despite an overall field-goal percentage of 33.3 percent. Strybuc has posted double-digit scoring performances in each of the last three games, including 18 points in the win over Slippery Rock.

Bloomsburg (11-3, 5-3 PSAC), the reigning PSAC Eastern Division champion, is atop the standings once again but has lost three of its last four meetings with the Raiders. The Huskies rank 13th in Division II by averaging nearly eight three-pointers per contest, as junior Dana Wieller has already drained 41 trifectas through 14 games. Wieller is averaging a team-high 17.6 points per game while senior Kelsey Gallagher is contributing 15.4 points per game. Point guard Alyssa Flanagan is averaging 5.2 assists per game, which ranks 18th in the country.

MEN:  Shippensburg (6-8, 3-5 PSAC) enters the game in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Division with West Chester. Both teams are just one game ahead of Mansfield in the standings.

Until a tough performance at Slippery Rock last Saturday, the SU men were among the Top 15 teams in the country in terms of field-goal percentage. The Raiders currently rank second in the PSAC and 18th in the country by averaging exactly 50 percent from the field and have shot 50 percent or better in nine of 14 contests.

The play of freshman point guard Reggie Charles has been integral to the team's success. SU is 4-2 in games that Charles records at least five assists. Charles is averaging 4.9 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the PSAC and 39th in Division II.

Shippensburg is just 1-5 this season in PSAC games in which it has lost the rebounding edge. SU ranks third in the league for defensive rebounds but is just 15th in offensive rebounds.

Bloomsburg (10-3, 6-2 PSAC) is also atop the PSAC Eastern Division standings at the moment and is seeking its first postseason appearance since 2002. The Huskies were picked third in the preseason coaches poll.

BU is relatively disciplined with the basketball, ranking third in the PSAC (first in the PSAC East) and 36th in Division II for assist-to-turnover ratio. The Huskies are averaging 15.8 assists per game while committing just 13.8 turnovers per game.

Senior Trevon Johnson is one of the Top 10 point guards in the country in terms of assists per game, ranking seventh in Division II with an average of 6.8 per contest. Johnson is averaging 10.3 points per game and is shooting 77 percent from the free-throw line.

Sophomore Dontahe Jordan leads the team with a 15.3 points per game average. Senior forward Larry Webster is among the leading blockers in the conference and already holds the school record for career blocks.