Box Score

ERIE, PA - Lindsay Stamp (Erie, Pa. /Mercyhurst Prep) and Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) each posted 19 points as the IUP women's basketball team defeated rival Bloomsburg 72-59 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament Friday night.

With the win, the Crimson Hawks (23-8) move on to face Gannon tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the Atlantic Region Semifinals. The Lady Knights won both regular season meetings between the teams and will play in front of their home crowd at the Hammermill Center. 

Stoner was a sterling 9-of-13 from from the floor and ripped down eight rebounds, while Stamp finished with 19 points, six boards and four three-pointers. Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) also notched a strong performance for the Crimson Hawks, finishing with six points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Leading by four at halftime, IUP saw its lead evaporate midway through the second period thanks to a layup from Danielle Derr and a pair of Dana Wieller free throws. The Crimson Hawks would respond in a big way, however, ripping off a 7-0 run on back-to-back buckets from Stoner and Stamp to take a 50-45 lead with 11:25 to play.

The Huskies would keep IUP at arm's length over the next four minutes of play, but Stamp would break the game wide open with a pair of triples to give the Crimson Hawks a 66-53 lead with 3:16 to play.

Bloomsburg would attempt a final rally with under two minutes to play when Brianna Dudeck hit a jumper to trim the lead to 11, but two free throws from Stamp would salt away the win and send the Crimson Hawks to their second consecutive Atlantic Region Semifinal.

The story of the evening was the Crimson Hawks' ability to crash the offensive glass, particularly in the second half of action. IUP out-rebounded the Huskies 29-11 in the second stanza, and hauled in 30 offensive boards on the evening.

In addition to their work on the boards, the Crimson Hawks did an excellent job containing a deadly Bloomsburg shooting attack. IUP limited the Huskies to just 32.8% shooting from the field and 23.5% shooting from behind the arc.

Kayla Oxenrider paced Bloomsburg with 17 points and three rebounds, while Wieller and Catherine Noack finished with 10 points apiece.

Jeff Dow is now 6-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, winning three times with the Crimson Hawks and three times while at Anderson University.

Tomorrow evening's semifinal action begins at 5:30 p.m. with Glenville State taking on California. The Crimson Hawks will take the court at 7:30 p.m. against top-seeded Gannon.