Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team used a big second quarter in an otherwise tightly contested matchup in a 66-52 victory against Davis & Elkins on Friday night at the KCAC, marking the first career victory for interim head coach Craig Carey.
 
Carey and the Crimson Hawks (1-0) battled past some disjointed offense at times and locked down Davis & Elkins (0-1), allowing just 24 points in the second half. Kiera Baughman guided the IUP offense with 19 points (12-14 FT), six rebounds and five steals. Maria Cerro added 15 points and four boards, while Alana Cardona just missed a double-double behind 13 points and nine rebounds.
 
Teirra Preston logged nine points and 15 rebounds for the Crimson Hawks, who held a 58-44 edge on the glass. Taylor Smith dropped in a team-high 16 points for the Senators, with Madison Butler adding 11.
 
The Crimson Hawks led for over 33 minutes of the contest in a matchup between two head coaches making their debuts on Friday night.
 
After a slow start, IUP started to find a bit of a groove on the offensive end, keyed by some strong play in transition. Davis & Elkins jumped ahead 8-4 with a three-point basket from Alexis Smith in the first before the Crimson Hawks trimmed its deficit to one on a putback from Preston.
 
The Crimson Hawks eventually took their first lead since the opening basket with a lay-in from Maria Cerro. Baughman opened the scoring in the second with a three off a kickout from Cardona, pushing IUP ahead 23-18 at 9:11.
 
Off a steal, the Crimson Hawks stretched their lead to double figures with a driving layup from Cerro. Both sides went through a scoreless drought before Cardona finished off a Cerro pass in the paint for a 31-24 advantage.
 
Cerro led all scorers in the opening half with 11 points, one of two Crimson Hawks in double figures following the opening 20 minutes. IUP shot 36.1% from the floor in the opening half, while the Senators cooled off to a 35.5% clip from the floor.
 
IUP stretched its advantage into double figures once again, racing ahead 44-30 on a triple from Gina Adams. Preston handed IUP its largest lead of the night with a finish underneath at the 1:27 mark of the third, as the Crimson Hawks kept the Senators at bay for the remainder of the evening.
 
D&E got back to within single digits early in the fourth with a much-needed three from Smith at 8:51. Cardona countered with a lay-in at 7:56 as IUP clamped down on the defensive end. Cerro expanded the IUP lead to 16 once again with a bucket.
 
IUP posted a 32-22 advantage in paint points against a pesky D&E side. Lincoln defeated Slippery Rock in the opening game of the evening at the KCAC. 
 
UP NEXT
IUP returns to the floor, hosting Lincoln on Saturday, November 12 for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff at the KCAC.
 
FOLLOW
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.