INDIANA, Pa. – Sophomore forward Maura D'Anna (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and junior guard Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) netted 20 points to lead the second-ranked IUP women's basketball team to a dominating 87-42 win over visiting Clarion at the Kovalchick Complex on Saturday night.
 
The victory was an impressive response by a Crimson Hawks team that had dropped its first game of the year to 14th-ranked California (Pa.) on Wednesday night. IUP regained the lead in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division on Saturday, moving back in front of Cal with a 16-1 overall record and 11-1 league mark.
 
It was D'Anna's first double-double of the season, making 6-of-10 from the field and grabbing seven offensive rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench.
 
Appleby had a hot hand, making 9-of-12 from the field, including both 3-point attempts to record her second 20-point performance of the season. She dished out four assists and turned it over just once in 29 minutes.
 
The two highlighted a strong performance from top to bottom for the Crimson Hawks, with four scoring in double-figures while all nine who played scored at least four points.
 
An 11-0 run helped the Crimson Hawks get out to an early 20-5 lead, scoring 31 points in the first quarter alone. Appleby scored nine of her points in the opening quarter, as IUP shot 13-of-17 and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first 10 minutes.
 
As a team, IUP shot 61.3 percent from the floor (38-of-62), including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The Crimson Hawks outrebounded Clarion 36-to-23 and forced the Golden Eagles (7-12, 2-11 PSAC) into 19 turnovers.
 
The Crimson Hawks finished off strong, outscoring Clarion 24-7 in the final quarter. The 45-point win was the 10th for IUP of more than 20 points this season. It is the third widest scoring margin for IUP this year.
 
IUP dished out 21 assists on its 38 made baskets, including a game-high seven by Halle Denman (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk). Also, scoring in double-figures were Brittany Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) with 14 points and Audrey Stapleton (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) with 11 points off the bench.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks will host a hot Seton Hill (15-4, 10-3 PSAC) next Wednesday at the Kovalchick Complex. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. The Griffins have won six straight games, including a 64-58 win over then-10th-ranked Cal.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.