INDIANA, Pa. – Senior forward Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) scored 24 points in just 29 minutes to lead the sixth-ranked IUP women's basketball team to an 86-60 win over visiting Seton Hill Wednesday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
It was Smith's sixth 20-point outing of the year as the Crimson Hawks improved to 17-1 overall and 12-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). They kept their slim lead in the Western Division, a half-game ahead of Edinboro and California (12-2).
 
The dominant 26-point victory came against a Seton Hill squad that entered the night on a six-game win streak. The Griffins are in fourth place in the strong PSAC West with a 10-4 league record, 15-5 overall.
 
The Crimson Hawks also held the high-scoring Griffins to 17 points below their season scoring average of 77.7 points per game.
 
IUP completely controlled the boards, outrebounding Seton Hill 49-to-28. Brittany Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, while Maura D'Anna (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) had eight rebounds and Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) had seven.
 
A 14-point halftime lead quickly increased to 21 in the third quarter on the strength of an 11-0 IUP run over a 2:12 span. Smith and Robinson keyed the run with a combined nine points on four straight team possessions.
 
Smith led the IUP offensive effort as four players reached double-figures and all nine Crimson Hawks who saw the floor landed in the scoring column. In addition to Smith's 24 and Robinson's 14, Appleby scored 11 and Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) finished with 10.
 
IUP's ball sharing continued into the fourth quarter, building a lead of 31 points down the stretch to close out the win. The Crimson Hawks finished with 19 assists on 35 made buckets, with Wolosik dishing out seven.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are on the road for their next two games, starting with a trip to Erie to square off against Mercyhurst (7-12, 5-8 PSAC) Saturday afternoon. IUP defeated the Lakers 89-38 back on Jan. 6.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.