SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. –
Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana), Zhané Brooks and
Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) each went for more than 20 points as the IUP women's basketball team took down Slippery Rock 90-75 at Morrow Field House on Saturday night.
Stapleton finished with 28 points while Brooks and Smith each scored 25 to help the Crimson Hawks improve to 18-6 overall and 15-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
It is believed to be the first time in program history that three players have scored more than 20 points in the same game. All three point totals were also career-highs for Stapleton, Brooks and Smith.
Stapleton went a perfect 12-of-12 from the foul line, increasing her percentage to 93.8 for the season. The senior guard also went 6-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-8 from three-point range.
Brooks flirted with a triple double, as she added eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists. She went 9-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the foul line. Both Stapleton and Brooks, a senior forward, played the full 40 minutes.
Smith posted her third double-double of the season, adding a career-high 12 rebounds. The sophomore guard went 9-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. The six three-pointers are the second highest single game total in program history.
The Crimson Hawks opened with 20 points in the first quarter and added 22 in the second to take a 42-40 lead into halftime. Taking a four-point lead into the final quarter, IUP finished off Slippery Rock by scoring a season-high 31 points in the final stanza.
IUP shot 50 percent from the field for the game, including a 10-of-19 showing from three-point range. The Crimson Hawks also took advantage of their foul line trips, making 22-of-29 from the charity stripe. The 90 points for the Crimson Hawks were a season-high.
Winners of three in a row and six of their last eight, the Crimson Hawks return home next Wednesday to host Pitt-Johnstown on Senior Night. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is set for 5:30 p.m.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
