Boxscore

Katelyn Marshall (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) and Brianna Johnson (Fairfax, Va./Oakton) combined for 44 points, Lacey Claar (Imler, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel) reached the 1,000-point plateau and IUP survived a scoreless drought of nearly nine minutes in the second half to post a 79-61 victory over Gannon in the PSAC West opener for both teams Wednesday at Memorial Field House.

The Crimson Hawks won their seventh in a row – their longest winning streak since early in the 2008-09 season – and improved to 9-4 on the season. Gannon, the reigning PSAC and Atlantic Region champions, dropped to 7-5. IUP had lost four in a row to the Golden Knights, including a loss in the NCAA Atlantic Region tournament semifinals at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Marshall scored 25 points, just two shy of her career high, and hit four 3-pointers after not making more than two in any game during her two-year career. Johnson had a career-best 19 points and added 10 rebounds for her second career double-double while also dishing out three assists, making three steals and blocking two shots. Eryn Withers (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) was the third IUP player in double figures with 10 points.

Claar needed only three points to become the 19th player in IUP history to reach the 1,000 mark and achieved that distinction with her second basket of the game at the 4:17 mark of the first half. The senior guard added a 3-pointer at the first half buzzer to extend her school record to 189 and give the Crimson Hawks a 44-29 lead at the break.

IUP build its advantage up to 57-36 on a jumper by Marshall four minutes into the second half and led 60-41 with 13:30 left on a 3-pointer by Arika Ullman (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough). But the Crimson Hawks went ice cold as the Golden Knights crept back into the game.

IUP missed 13 straight shots and committed four turnovers over the next 8:45, but Gannon could slice only nine points off its deficit, pulling within 60-50 on a layup by Jennifer Papich with 6:28 to go. The Crimson Hawks finally got back on the board on two free throws by Johnson with 4:45 remaining and, following two from the line by Danielle Tucker, outscored the Golden Knights 17-9 the rest of the way.

Papich was the only Gannon player in double figures, scoring 15 points while adding nine rebounds and four steals. Both teams shot 47.6 percent from the field and Gannon held a 33-32 edge on the boards but the Golden Knights committed 27 turnovers.

Gannon was ahead 14-12 after a jumper by Julie Kleber a little more than seven minutes into the game. A 3-pointer by Ullman, who has nine in the past three games, gave the Crimson Hawks their first lead of the game and triggered a 20-6 run over the next 6:09. Johnson had nine points during the game-changing surge, including a layup with 5:15 on the clock that gave IUP a 32-20 lead.

The Crimson Hawks made 8 of 17 from 3-point distance to continue their red hot long range shooting. IUP has made at least seven 3s in its last seven games and is shooting 47.9 percent (57 of 119) from beyond the arc over that span. The IUP defense is allowing just over 46 points per game and has forced almost 28 turnovers per game during its winning streak.

The Crimson Hawks wrap up their four-game homestand Saturday with a 5:30 game vs. Slippery Rock. IUP is riding a seven-game winning streak vs. the Rock dating back to the 2006-07 season, and Slippery Rock has not won at Memorial Field House since the 2004-05 campaign.