ERIE, Pa. – Senior forward Zhané Brooks led IUP with 15 points, but another cold shooting night was the undoing of the IUP women's basketball team as they lost at Mercyhurst, 75-55, Wednesday night.

Brooks led three Crimson Hawks in double-figures scoring, but poor shooting and a tough middle two quarters put IUP in a hole it couldn't escape. For the game, IUP shot just 38.5 percent from the field for the game and was outscored by 14 in the second and third quarters.

Playing for the final time in her hometown, Brooks had 15 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out three assists. Sophomore guard Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) added 14 points and four rebounds, while freshman guard Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) had 10 points off the bench.
IUP played the Lakers basket-for-basket in the first quarter, holding its largest lead of four points, before going into the second down, 19-16.

With the loss, IUP drops to 15-6 overall and 12-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. The Crimson Hawks remain in second place behind California (Pa.) in the division.

IUP returns to action Saturday against Edinboro, which sits a game behind the Crimson Hawks in the PSAC West standings. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Kovalchick Complex.

For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Women's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.