Boxscore
IUP used an 18-0 run over a six-minute span in the second half to blow open a close game, and the Crimson Hawks went on to post a 72-52 victory over Lock Haven for their second win over the Bald Eagles in three days.
IUP improved to 18-7 overall and 10-3 in the PSAC West and can clinch second place in the division and an opening round home playoff game with a victory on Saturday against Mercyhurst at Memorial Field House. Lock Haven dropped to 11-13 and 4-9 in the PSAC West with its eighth straight loss to IUP.
Katelyn Marshall (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) scored 20 points to lead the Crimson Hawks, including 10 during the decisive surge. With IUP leading just 40-35 midway through the second half, Marshall hit a jumper, two free throws and a 3-pointer in just over two minutes to push the margin up to 51-35 with 9:47 remaining. She finished the run with a three-point play created by her own offensive rebound to make it 58-35 at the 6:45 mark.
Lock Haven, meanwhile, repeated its second half struggles of Monday when it scored just nine points over the final 20 minutes in a 73-32 loss to the Crimson Hawks. After putting up eight quick points in the first two minutes and taking a 33-32 lead on a layup by Kristen Kudrick with 18:13 left, the Bald Eagles were held without a field goal and only four free throws over the next 12:34 as IUP pulled away.
During that time the IUP defense harassed Lock Haven into missing 12 straight field goal attempts and nine turnovers. The Bald Eagles committed a total of 22 turnovers in the game which the Crimson Hawks turned into 29 points while Lock Haven managed only eight points off 18 IUP miscues.
Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) was the only other Crimson Hawk to finish in double figures, scoring 11 points, and
Arika Ullman (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) hit three 3-pointers for nine points. The Crimson Hawks hit 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and 17 of 20 from the free throw line.
Lacey Claar (Imler, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel) had a team-high eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
Kristen Kudrick led Lock Haven with 17 points. Kacie Hershey came off the bench to add eight points and eight rebounds.
The Bald Eagles stayed with IUP the entire first half and even snuck ahead briefly at 17-16 on a jumper by Hershey with 6:08 left in the period. The Crimson Hawks responded with a 9-1 run to take a 25-18 lead before two free throws by Heather McHugh with under a minute to play pulled Lock Haven within 28-25 at intermission.
The win gives IUP three straight seasons with double figures in PSAC West wins, the first time in school history it has accomplished that feat. Including records of 11-3 in 2008-09 and 10-4 last season, the Crimson Hawks are 31-10 in division play in three seasons under head coach Jeff Dow and 57-20 over the last six years.
