CALIFORNIA, Pa. – IUP rebounded from a rough first quarter, but a late push by the Vulcans proved to be the difference as the Crimson Hawks fell to rival California (Pa.) 62-52 in the 2016 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Basketball Championship game on Sunday.
Senior forward Zhané Brooks led the way for the Crimson Hawks with 17 points and 11 rebounds, her 11th double-double of the season. Sophomore guard
Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) also netted 17 points, going 6-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the foul line with five rebounds and two steals.
IUP was making its sixth all-time appearance in the PSAC championship game, and the first since 2009. This was the first loss to Cal in the championship game, defeating the Vulcans in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The Crimson Hawks will now await word from the NCAA on their Division II tournament fate. IUP entered the week as the eighth ranked team in the Atlantic Region, adding wins over Gannon and West Chester prior to today's loss to Cal. The top eight teams in each of Division II's eight regions make the field of 64.
The selection show will air live on NCAA.com at 10 p.m. (
Live link)
The Vulcans (24-5) started out strong, using a 9-0 run to take a commanding 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. IUP (21-8) came right back, scoring on eight straight possessions to go on a dominant 19-0 run and take a 25-20 lead midway through the second quarter.
Brooks and Smith were the catalysts of the run, scoring seven points apiece to help put the Crimson Hawks in control. Freshman guard
Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) scored the other five points, hitting a three-pointer and converting a driving layup on back-to-back possessions. She finished the game with 15 points, tying a season-high.
Cal came back to take a 31-29 lead into halftime, and led by as many as nine points in the third quarter until a 11-5 IUP run cut the Vulcans lead to 45-42 heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Vulcans pulled away in the fourth, going a perfect 9-of-9 from the foul line, making six in the final 2:11 of the game, to clinch the title. The Crimson Hawks trailed by five at 56-51 with under three minutes to play, but couldn't convert enough shots down the stretch.
IUP shot 30.4 percent from the field and limited the Vulcans to a 36.5 shooting percentage, but Cal controlled the boards 46-to-36 and converted 83.3 percent from the foul line. Cal's Miki Glenn scored 30 points and was named the Tournament MVP.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
