BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team held on for a 72-64 victory against Bloomsburg, remaining undefeated and finishing out a sweep of the opening Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover weekend.
Kiera Baughman anchored the IUP (6-0, 2-0) offense behind a career-high 24 points in 39 minutes. Baughman was one of four starters in double figures for IUP, which collected 11 steals.
Alana Cardona finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, adding two blocks.
Teirra Preston was an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor, posting 14 points and six rebounds.
Maria Cerro posted 13 points, four assists and three steals in 39 minutes in an all-around effort. IUP shot 52% for the game, including 62.5% in the fourth quarter despite hitting just one of four attempted three-pointers.
Allison Hileman posted a team-high 17 points for Bloomsburg (2-4, 0-2 PSAC) and Emma Gochnauer provided 14 points in 33 minutes off the bench. The Huskies looked to chip away for the majority of the contest but were hampered by 22 turnovers.
IUP countered a quick Bloomsburg start, working its lead to 13-9 after a jumper from Baughman. Cardona stretched the Crimson Hawk advantage to seven points following a pir of foul shots at the conclusion of the first quarter. The Huskies could not convert in the final possession of the first, grabbing two offensive rebounds over the last 11 seconds of the stanza.
Bloomsburg trimmed its deficit to 20-19 with a jumper from Nicole Schmidt. The Hawks responded with an 8-0 spurt, capped by a transition and-one hoop from Baughman at 4:14 of the second. IUP continued to limit the Huskies on the offensive end, taking a 32-28 into the intermission.
Early in the second half, Cerro found Cardona for a basket underneath through contact, stretching the IUP advantage to 37-28. The Huskies responded, chipping away their deficit to just four at 37-33. Again, IUP used a timely run with six of the next eight points for a 43-35 lead.
The IUP lead hovered around between one and two possessions for the remainder of the frame. Bloomsburg got to within three after the opening score of the fourth before IUP used efficient offense to remain in front. Baughman finished off another timely and-one at 7:02, moving IUP ahead by double figures at 58-48, the team's largest lead of the evening.
From there, Bloomsburg got to within six on several occasions before IUP countered back. IUP has posted 10 or more steals in three consecutive contests and four times this season. Between the first and fourth quarters, Bloomsburg was limited to 11-of-35 (31.4%) from the floor. Meanwhile, IUP made 10 field goals in the fourth quarter alone to preserve the victory.
Up Next
IUP returns home on Sunday, December 11 for a matchup with Goldey-Beacom at the KCAC. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
