INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team, ranked 11th in the D2SIDA poll, found a shooting touch in the third quarter and remained undefeated with a 73-63 win against West Chester in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover play on Monday night at the KCAC.
 
Kiera Baughman paced IUP (9-0, 4-0) with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals un 35 minutes. Each member of the IUP starting lineup finished in double digits, all playing the majority of the contest. Gina Adams finished with 19 points (7-8 FT) and five rebounds, while Teirra Preston and Alana Cardona each recorded double-double efforts.
 
IUP went 11-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range in the third quarter, outscoring West Chester (5-5, 2-2 PSAC) 26-15 in the stanza. Despite cooling off over the final 10 minutes, IUP built a seven-point advantage going into the fourth and closed out the victory at the foul line.
 
Cardona notched 12 points and 10 boards for the Hawks, while Preston recorded 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory.
 
IUP struggled shooting the ball in the opening half, trailing 32-28 at the intermission and going just 24.3% (9-37) from the floor in the initial 20 minutes. Adams knotted the score at eight with a three-point basket, one of five for the Crimson Hawks in the first half.
 
The Rams answered back with a Michelle Kozicki basket and maintained the lead for the remainder of the stanza. Cardona sliced the deficit to 13-12 with a triple at 1:33, marking the final IUP basket of the frame.
 
A stepback triple from Baughman worked the score tied at 18 in the second quarter, part of a quick 6-2 spurt in a tough half offensively for the Hawks. WCU rattled off a 12-2 scoring run over the final five minutes of the second for a 32-23 advantage. The Hawks countered back with two much-needed baskets and a defensive stop, trimming the halftime deficit to 32-28 following a three from Adams and stickback from Preston.
 
IUP surged ahead 42-36 following a big 14-0 spurt with seven points coming from Maria Cerro, who finished with 12 points and two rebounds in playing all 40 minutes. IUP built enough of a cushion to withstand a push from the Golden Rams in the fourth quarter as the visitors got back to within single digits.
 
Adams pushed IUP ahead by eight with a triple in the fourth quarter , later extending the lead to double digits over the final 20 second at the foul line.
 
Anna McTamney paced the Rams with a game-high 23 points (9-19 FG), while the balanced output of Leah Johnson, Emily McAteer and Kozicki all posted 12 points each.
 
Up Next
IUP returns to action following the Christmas break with a trip to Millersville on Friday, December 30 at 3:00 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
 

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