JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Senior guard Carolyn Appleby scored 21 points and the IUP defense forced 23 turnovers as the third-ranked Crimson Hawks won their sixth straight with a 57-35 victory over Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday night.
 
Appleby finished 8-of-18 from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists and had two steals in 33 minutes of action. It was her ninth 20-point game of the season.
 
The Crimson Hawks improved to 21-1 overall and a league-best 16-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
 
The IUP defense had one of its best games of the season, limiting the Mountain Cats (12-12, 8-9 PSAC) to just 11-of-49 shooting at a 22.4 percent clip. The shooting percentage and field goals made are both season-lows for the IUP defense.
 
The Crimson Hawks started slow offensively but Appleby keyed a late first quarter run as they led 13-4 after the first 10 minutes of action.
 
After a tight second quarter, IUP broke the game open in the third. Holding onto a 30-23 lead the Crimson Hawks reeled off an 11-0 run over 3:11 to go on top 41-23. Appleby knocked down back-to-back jumpers to start the run, with additional buckets by senior forward Brittany Robinson and junior forward Lexi Griggs, while senior guard Lauren Wolosik capped it with a 3-pointer.
 
The run extended to 23-6 midway through the final quarter with a pair of free throws by Wolosik. That gave the Crimson Hawks a comfortable 53-29 lead as they cruised to a 22-point victory.
 
Robinson was the only other IUP to score in double-figures with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. She added seven rebounds, tied a career-high with six steals, and two blocks.
 
Notes
The Crimson Hawks entered the game No. 3 in the WBCA Top 25 and No. 4 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls … Coach Tom McConnell improved his IUP record to 139-35 (.799) and is just three wins shy of becoming the program's all-time winningest coach … The Crimson Hawks improved to 10-0 on the road, including 6-0 against PSAC West opponents … IUP has held opponents to under 60 points in six straight games … The 35 points allowed is the second lowest of the season (32, Shippensburg) … IUP had 14 steals, the most since swiping 14 against UPJ on January 5 … This was IUP's 17th victory by more than 20 points … UPJ shot 1-of-16 from 3-point range … The Crimson Hawks swept the season series with UPJ for the third straight season, and fifth time in six years under McConnell.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are off this Saturday and return to action Wednesday, February 20 at home against Clarion. The Golden Eagles are 8-15 overall and last in the division with a 2-14 league record. They were off Wednesday night and host Slippery Rock Saturday. Tipoff next Wednesday at the Kovalchick Complex is 5:30 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.