Box Score
INDIANA, PA – Despite a strong second half effort, the IUP women's basketball team fell to rival California (PA) 69-63 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West matchup on Saturday night at the Kovalchick Complex.

The loss was the Crimson Hawks' fourth straight as they drop to 11-5 overall and 2-4 in divisional play. It was Cal's eighth win in its last nine games, improving to 10-6 overall and 4-3 in the West.

It was a close in the early going until a 15-5 run by the Vulcans gave them a 29-18 lead with 4:20 left in the half. The Crimson Hawks responded with seven consecutive points, including a three-pointer by Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana), to fight back and make it a 29-24 deficit at the break.

That hot streak continued into the second half with IUP scoring the first nine points to take a 34-29 lead, its first since holding a 13-12 advantage at the 11:01 mark of the first. Stapleton opened up the scoring with a layup before Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) got a bucket after a turnover by the Vulcans. Stapleton sunk a three and another layup to break the tie and put IUP on top.

The Vulcans tied the game at 36 and again at 38, but the Crimson Hawks stayed in control until Cal scored six straight to take a 49-47 lead with 10:29 on the clock. The Vulcans then scored 10 of the next 14 points to build an eight point lead at 59-51 with under eight minutes to go.

Another three-pointer by Stapleton narrowed the gap to two points a few minutes later and a layup by Mathe with 1:24 on the clock made the IUP deficit 64-63. But the Vulcans finished off the game with a layup and three foul shots and IUP turned the ball over twice in the final minute to finish off the game and come away with the win.

Stapleton finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. She also added a career-high seven rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.

Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) had a team-high 15 points, going 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line, adding six rebounds. Mathe finished with 10 points, four assists and three steals.

The four-game losing streak for IUP is the longest since the eight-game skid to end the 2004-05 season.

The Crimson Hawks return to the court on Wednesday when they travel to Edinboro for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. With a 75-72 overtime win over second-ranked Gannon earlier this afternoon, the Fighting Scots have moved into first place in the PSAC West with a 6-0 divisional mark.