Box Score

KUTZTOWN, PA – Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points to help the IUP women's basketball team score a 76-62 victory over Kutztown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover action on Saturday at the Keystone Arena.

Stapleton's 21 points came in 31 minutes as she sunk 5-of-10 from three-point range and went 4-of-4 from the foul line. 15 of her points came in the second half as the Crimson Hawks outscored Kutztown 39-26 in the game's second 20-minute period.

In addition to Stapleton, four other Crimson Hawks reached double-figures in scoring, including Zhane Brooks (Erie, Pa. /Villa Maria) who posted her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel), earning her fourth consecutive start, scored a season-high 15 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line. Playing in just 24 minutes because of foul trouble, Lindsay Stamp (Erie, Pa. /Mercyhurst Prep) scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) added 10 points and six boards.

It was the third consecutive win for the Crimson Hawks, who improved to 9-1 overall on the season.

The first half featured four ties and five lead changes, with neither team able to grab control early.

With Kutztown (5-5) on top by two midway through the half, the Crimson Hawks got a three-pointer by Watson, jumpstarting a 13-2 run as they took a 29-20 lead. Stamp and Brooks each scored buckets on the run, which was capped off by another three by Watson with 5:51 left before the half.

IUP grabbed another nine-point lead with 4:24 left on yet another trey by Watson before the Golden Bears closed out the half on a 10-2 run, but the Crimson Hawks still led 37-36 heading into the locker room.

Kutztown grabbed a lead on the first possession of the second half with a three-pointer but the Crimson Hawks took a four-point lead with the help of back-to-back three-pointers by Stapleton and Marina Wareham (New Wilmington, Pa. /Kennedy Catholic).

IUP held onto the lead until a pair of free throws by the Golden Bears' Kara Funk with 10:08 left put Kutztown back on top by one at 53-52. The Golden Bears later held a 58-56 lead before the Crimson Hawks took control with 15 consecutive points over a span of 5:23, taking a commanding 71-58 lead with just over a minute left. Free throws iced the game for IUP, with Stapleton knocking down the final two in the Crimson Hawks' 14-point win.

Stapleton finished the game 6-of-16 from the field, which was a career-high for field goals made. Her five three-pointers were also a personal best.

Both teams shot well from the floor, with IUP going 24-of-50 and Kutztown finishing 21-of-51. The Crimson Hawks, however, went 11-of-21 from three-point range while the Golden Bears made just five from beyond the arc.

This was the final action for the Crimson Hawks in the 2013 year. They'll return to the court on the weekend of Jan. 3-4 with road games at Mansfield and Lock Haven. Their first home game of the new year will be against rival Bloomsburg on Jan. 8.