Boxscore

IUP cut a 22-point deficit down to 10 in the closing minutes but could not finish off the comeback in a 76-63 loss Saturday at Fairmont State.

Eryn Withers (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) paced the Crimson Hawks with 21 points, two shy of her career-high, and was joined in double figures by Amber Dubyak (Hastings, Pa./Cambria Heights) with 17 and Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) with 15. Pastorek led IUP with seven rebounds, one more than Withers and Lacey Claar (Imler, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel).

The loss dropped IUP to 0-2 for the first time since 1988-89. Fairmont State is 2-0.

Rachel Murray and Tiffany Nicholson both scored 23 points and combined to shoot 17 of 21 from the field for the Falcons, and Murray pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Kaitlin Snyder was 14 of 18 from the free throw line and scored 16 points while dishing out nine assists.

Fairmont State held a 46-37 advantage on the boards and outscored IUP 24-9 from the free throw line, mostly as a result of the Crimson Hawks fouling at the end of the game to conserve time. The Falcons won despite committing 31 turnovers to only 14 for IUP.

IUP was able to get off 79 shots to 43 for Fairmont State but made only three more field goals than the Falcons and shot just 32.9 percent from the floor. Fairmont State connected on 53.5 percent of its attempts including 6 of 15 from 3-point distance.

The Crimson Hawks trailed 62-40 with 8:02 left in the game but battled back to within 13 on a 3-point play by Dubyak with 3:51 remaining. Dubyak and Pastorek combined for 15 points down the stretch, with an offensive rebound and basket by Dubyak bringing the Crimson Hawks within 73-63 with 24 seconds to go.

IUP led only once at 10-9 on a basket by Withers four and a half minutes into the game. It was tied at 12 on a field goal by Dubyak, but the Falcons outscored the Crimson Hawks 22-10 over the final 13:25 of the half to take a 12-point halftime lead.

The Fairmont State lead never dropped below double figures during the second half, and a 10-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Nicholson opened up the 22-point cushion.

IUP is off until Nov. 29 when it plays its home opener vs. La Roche at Memorial Field House.