INDIANA, Pa. – R-Jr. guard Courtney Alexander came off the bench to score 20 points as the sixth-ranked IUP women's basketball team overcame a sluggish start for an 82-50 victory over visiting Clarion Saturday at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
The win was the 16th straight for the Crimson Hawks, tying the program record set during the 1999-2000 season. The victory gives IUP an 18-1 overall record – also tied for its best 19-game start – and a spotless 13-0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) record.
 
IUP holds a two-game lead over second place Gannon (15-4, 11-2 PSAC) in the division with a win in-hand.
 
It was a rough start for IUP as the upset-minded Golden Eagles (3-16, 1-12 PSAC) jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes. The Crimson Hawks committed four turnovers during that span while Clarion made six of its first seven shots.
 
IUP settled in with buckets by Maura D'Anna, Alexander and Natalie Myers for a 7-0 run to end the first quarter.
 
The Hawks then exploded for 27 second quarter points as Alexander went a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range. She scored 14 points in the quarter as IUP shot 60 percent from the floor and outrebounded Clarion 10-2.
 
Trailing 22-20 the Crimson Hawks went on a 12-0 run with Alexander knocking down three of her treys, including two on back-to-back possessions. D'Anna ended the half with a pair of foul shots and a layup off a nice dish by Justina Mascaro to give IUP a 38-27 lead at the break.
 
IUP extended its lead to 17 points during the third quarter and then used a 16-2 run in the fourth to pull away from the pesky Golden Eagles. The final 10 minutes was a complete runaway as the Crimson Hawks outscored Clarion 26-7 on 11-of-15 shooting while the Eagles converted just 3-of-15 from the field.
 
The Hawks shot 55.2 percent (32-of-58) from the floor, including 11-of-22 from 3-point range, and converted 7-of-9 from the foul line. They also completely dominated the glass, outrebounding Clarion 42-to-18 for a season-best +24 rebounding margin.
 
Who stood out
Alexander's 20 points tied a career-high she set back on December 21 in a win at Shippensburg. She shot 7-of-12 from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range in just 25 minutes. Her six treys also tied a career-high from the December 7 win at Mansfield.
 
D'Anna finished with a season-high 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes, adding eight rebounds. Myers went for 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. The nation's second-leading 3-point shooter finished 3-of-7 from deep.
 
Sophomore guard Rajah Fink had high productivity, scoring nine points eight rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes off the bench.
 
Notes
The Crimson Hawks entered the game ranked No. 6 in the WBCA Top 25 and No. 9 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls … The 16 straight wins is also the most in the seven-year Tom McConnell era … McConnell and the Crimson Hawks won 15 straight each of the past two seasons … McConnell has five of the six longest win streaks in program history … The 82 points is the most for IUP since scoring 91 in the win over Shepherd on Dec. 20 … It was the fifth win of 30-plus points this season.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks look to set a program record with 17 straight wins Wednesday as they host Seton Hill (12-6, 7-6 PSAC) at the Kovalchick Complex. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.