JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Junior guard Rajah Fink went for 17 points and the Crimson Hawks forced 23 turnovers but Pitt-Johnstown was too much in the second half as the 17th-ranked IUP women's basketball team lost 63-60 Monday night.

The Hawks had the chance to tie the game or take the lead with 28 seconds left and down by two points, but they missed two shot attempts and turned the ball over with seconds to play. 

The loss was the fourth in the last six games for the Hawks, who are now 11-4 overall and 5-4 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 7-10 and 5-6. 

How it happened
The Crimson Hawks trailed throughout most of the first half but used a 12-1 run over the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a 31-25 lead at halftime. Senior forward Maura D'Anna hit three straight shots and scored six points in the second quarter, giving up a 26-24 lead with 3:17 left in the half. Freshman guard Kiera Baughman continued the run with a 3-pointer and junior forward Teirra Preston converted in the lane with three seconds left.

The lead reached eight in the third quarter but UPJ responded with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 39-39 with 4:13 on the clock in the third. The lead would switch hands throughout the rest of the third and into the fourth quarter. Free throws by Fink gave IUP a 50-48 lead with 6:33 to play and she later tied things up at 56-all with a layup at a the 4-minute mark. UPJ regained the lead and went up 62-58 before Fink cut into that lead with another bucket with 29 seconds to play. A turnover by UPJ gave the Hawks the ball back but they could not convert in those final 28 seconds. 

Who stood out
Fink hit double-figures in scoring for the third straight game as she's averaging 14.3 points and shooting 64.3 percent (18-for-28) during that span. She went the full 40 minutes tonight, going 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line with seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists. 

D'Anna had 10 points and six rebounds while Kiera Baughman 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. 

Notes
IUP entered the game ranked No. 17 in the WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll ... Today's loss broke a streak of nine straight wins over UPJ dating back to the 2015-16 season ... IUP head coach Tom McConnell is now 14-2 lifetime against UPJ ... The Hawks are 4-2 on the road this season and 26-4 since 2018-19 ... 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.

Up next
The Crimson Hawks return home to host Edinboro (8-5, 6-4 PSAC) Wednesday night at the KCAC. 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.