SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Junior forward
Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but the Crimson Hawks shot just 26 percent from the floor in a 59-45 season-opening loss to Bowie State in the Wolf's Bus Lines Classic at Shippensburg University on Friday.
Smith connected on 6-of-14 field goal attempts and made all four from the charity stripe. Eight of her rebounds were on the defensive end, and she added three assists and a block in 35 minutes.
Both teams shot poorly in the opening half, with IUP making just 5-of-23 from the floor and Bowie State connecting on just 11 shots from the floor to take a 28-16 lead into halftime.
The Crimson Hawks' offense picked it up to start the third quarter, as a three-pointer by sophomore guard
Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) jump-started an 11-3 run for IUP to narrow its deficit to six at 33-27. Appleby made another triple two possession later and redshirt sophomore guard
Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa. /North Catholic) added a layup-and-one during the run.
Bowie State responded by scoring 10 straight points, and used a 13-2 run to take a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter.
IUP trimmed the Bowie lead to nine with just over six minutes remaining on another three-pointer by Appleby, but that's the closest the Crimson Hawks would get in the 14-point loss.
Appleby finished with nine points on 3-of-6 from three-point range, adding four rebounds and a block in 30 minutes. Wolosik had seven points, four boards and three assists, while sophomore forward
Kendall Hunter (Burke, Va. /Paul VI Catholic) scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The loss marked the first season-opening defeat in four years under head coach
Tom McConnell.
The Crimson Hawks will look to rebound tomorrow afternoon when they face UVA-Wise with a 1 p.m. tip at Heiges Field House in Shippensburg.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
