CLARION, Pa. - Freshman forward Gina Adams scored a season-high 16 points and helped the No. 17 Crimson Hawks hold a huge advantage on the glass as the IUP women's basketball team bounced back with a 67-51 win at Clarion Saturday afternoon. 

The win snapped the Hawks' two-game skid as they improved to 11-3 overall and 5-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). 

IUP held Clarion to a 35.2 field goal percentage as none of the 13 Golden Eagles who played reached double-figures in scoring. Clarion fell to 3-13 overall and 2-9 in the league. 

How it happened
Clarion grabbed an early lead but the Hawks used a 10-2 lead over the last four minutes of the first quarter to take a 20-12 lead at the first break. 

The lead reached double-figures in the second quarter as the freshman tandem of Adams and guard Kiera Baughman combined for 12 points. IUP didn't shoot well in the quarter but forced Clarion into seven turnovers and took a 34-25 lead into halftime. 

Adams and junior guard Rajah Fink combined to score the first six points of the second half to put IUP on top by 15 points. The lead reached 20 midway through the third when senior guard Justina Mascaro hit back-to-back buckets, including a 3-pointer to make it a 47-27 game. The lead reached as many as 25 points in the fourth when Fink drilled back-to-back 3-pointers as the Hawks cruised down the stretch.

IUP out-rebounded Clarion 46-to-28, getting 19 offensive boards that led to 18 second chance points. 

Who stood out
Adams hit her career-high of 16 points on 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from the foul line. She nearly tallied her second double-double of the year adding eight rebounds with three assists and a steal in 23 minutes. 

Fink finished with 12 points, hitting double-figures for the second straight time in her third career start. She went 5-of-8 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers in 33 minutes. Senior forward Maura D'Anna finished with  nine points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 30 minutes. Junior forward Alana Cardona came off the bench to get eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes.

Notes
IUP entered the game ranked No. 17 in the WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll ... Today's win ended IUP's first losing streak since the 2016-17 season ... IUP head coach Tom McConnell is now 14-1 lifetime against Clarion with eight straight wins ... Fink has averaged 15.0 points per game in her last three games against Clarion ... IUP is 26-3 on the road since the start of the 2018-19 season, including 23-3 in PSAC road games ... This was IUP's third straight game playing without senior guard Courtney Alexander, who leads the PSAC and ranks third in Division II with 3.55 3-pointers made per game.

Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.