MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – IUP women's basketball came up with timely three-point baskets throughout the afternoon, including eight in the second half alone, part of an 80-62 victory against Millersville in PSAC crossover action on Friday.
IUP (10-0, 5-0) knocked down a season-high 14 three pointers to stay unbeaten, shooting 48.3% from the floor in the second half. The 14 triples are tied for the second most in program history for a single game, and the most since the 2019-20 season opener against Davis & Elkins.
Overall, 14 of the 26 made field goals for IUP were from beyond the arc.
Kiera Baughman was playing about 30 minutes from her hometown and dazzled with a career-high 32 points (7-13 3FG), tied for 15th most in program history. Baughman dropped in 16 of her 32 points before halftime, going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
Gina Adams added five triples of her own, posting 15 points with five rebounds as one of four Hawks in double figures.
Alana Cardona quietly posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds on the day.
Teirra Preston added 10 points and eight rebounds in another stellar effort from the IUP starting lineup.
Millersville (6-5, 1-4) started the game strong and continually chipped away in the team's third consecutive setback. Marin Miller logged a team-high 21 points with three rebounds and four assists, while Taylor Langan added 16 points.
After a slow start to the first half, IUP used a big run spanning into the second quarter to move in front. Both sides worked through several hot and cold shooting spurts in a tightly contested half. Both sides were cold from the floor to start the contest as Millersville methodically opened up a 6-0 advantage over the initial three minutes of the first quarter.
Millersville later pushed the lead to 11-4 before IUP countered back with consecutive treys, courtesy of Adams and Baughman, before the game's initial media timeout. Off a rebound from Preston, IUP raced ahead in transition as Cardona converted through contact for the Hawks' first lead of the day at 13-11. It was all part of a larger 11-2 as IUP held Millersville scoreless for nearly five minutes in the opening frame.
Jazmyne DeShields, making her IUP debut, banked in her opening field goal attempt from distance for a 16-13 IUP advantage. After a scramble near midcourt and steal from Preston, Baughman surged ahead to beat the first quarter buzzer for an 18-13 edge after the first.
Cerro became the fourth different IUP scorer to knock down a three in the opening half, lifting IUP to a 21-15 lead just under two minutes into the second quarter. Millersville sliced the deficit back to within two points at 21-19 following a nifty fastbreak bucket from Miller. Baughman drilled her third basket from beyond the arc on the day, working the IUP advantage to 26-20 at the 5:17 mark of the second quarter.
The Marauders countered back in an up and down first half, getting back to within 28-27. Off an offensive rebound, Baughman stepped into another triple from the right wing as IUP took a 33-29 lead into the intermission.
The Hawks surged out of the gate in the third quarter, upping the advantage to 40-31 after some stellar offense, which included a slick feed from Cerro to Preston at 8:35. IUP endured a brief scoreless stretch before Baughman and Cerro canned three-point buckets for the team's largest lead of the contest at 48-37 midway through the third.
The Hawks went scoreless for about four minutes, allowing Millersville to chip its deficit to 48-41 with about one minute showing in the third period.
Janeira Scott, who was also making her IUP debut, found Cardona inside for a bucket before converting of a fastbreak basket of her own that propelled IUP ahead at 52-41.
Despite another Millersville push at the onset of the fourth, IUP converted consecutive triples again, stretching the lead back to 10 at 58-48. Adams converted two three-point baskets of her own for a sudden 64-50 advantage. The Hawks continued outpacing the Marauders with an 11-5 scoring run, stretching the lead to 20.
The pace slowed considerably as IUP maintained the lead, holding on for the convincing victory.
Up Next
IUP returns home on Wednesday, January 4 for the PSAC West opener against Seton Hill at the KCAC.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
