INDIANA, Pa. – Senior forward Megan Smith scored a game-high 23 points to help lead the 11th-ranked Crimson Hawks to a 79-49 win over rival and 21st-ranked California (Pa.) Saturday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
Smith was one of three IUP players to score in double-figures as the Crimson Hawks shot 49 percent and posted one of the highest point totals of the year against the defensively strong Vulcans.
 
Smith went 7-of-15 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line with five rebounds, a block and a steal in 30 minutes.
 
Joining her in the scoring column was Carolyn Appleby, who scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four assists. Brittany Robinson added 10 points on 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line.
 
It was the sixth straight win for the Crimson Hawks, who improve to 23-2 overall and remain in a tie with Edinboro for first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with an 18-2 league record.
 
IUP limited the Vulcans (21-5, 16-4 PSAC) to a 31.6 field goal percentage (18-of-57), their second worst shooting outing of the season. The 49 points by Cal was the lowest total of the season.
 
The Crimson Hawks also dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Vulcans 43-to-26, collecting 11 offensive boards. Robinson led the way with eight, while Halle Denman and Maura D'Anna each collected seven.
 
After a tight start, the Crimson Hawks opened up a huge lead in the second quarter with a 15-3 run. Lauren Wolosik, Denman and Smith each drilled 3-pointers during the run as IUP took a 39-23 lead into halftime.
 
The momentum continued to open the second half, with a layup by Robinson giving IUP a 23-point lead at 50-27 less than four minutes into the third quarter. It was smooth sailing from there on out as the Crimson Hawks led by as many as 35 points and cruised to victory.
 
Up next
The win sets up a battle for PSAC West regular season title next week, as IUP will host Edinboro Wednesday night. The game will be live streamed on WatchESPN and the ESPN app at 5:30 p.m.
  
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.