INDIANA, Pa. - Junior forward Teirra Preston grabbed the rebound off a missed Slippery Rock 3-pointer with two seconds left as the IUP women's basketball team clinched a 71-68 double overtime victory Monday night at the Kovalchick Complex. 

The victory capped a wild back-and-forth game that included 11 ties and six lead changes, a big first quarter by IUP, and a big comeback by Slippery Rock through the middle portion of the game that led to an exciting fourth quarter and overtime period.

IUP senior guard Courtney Alexander led all scorers with 24 points while junior guard Rajah Fink added 21 points, including the game-tying layup with just under five seconds left in regulation. 

The Crimson Hawks improved to 18-6 overall and 12-6 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play, remaining fourth in the division standings. The loss was Slippery Rock's 10th straight to fall to 10-13 overall and 5-12 in the league. 

How it happened
The Crimson Hawks owned the first quarter, racing out to an 18-3 lead before taking a 20-9 advantage into the second frame. IUP made eight of its first 10 shots and forced SRU into five turnovers and 3-of-15 shooting for the quarter. Alexander had a good start with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a trey to open up the night. 

The Rock made their move in the second quarter, scoring seven straight points to get their deficit down to single digits and then later going on an 8-0 run as IUP held onto a 26-23 lead with just under three minutes left before half. The Hawks didn't get their first bucket of the quarter until the 6:45 mark and also went scoreless for 2:57 as SRU climbed back into the game. A free throw by The Rock near the end of the half gave IUP a slim 28-26 lead at the break.

After two early ties in the third quarter, The Rock gained their first lead of teh game at 33-32 on a 3-pointer with 4:30 to play in the frame. They later went on top by three points before the Hawks scored seven straight, including three free throws by Fink after she was fouled on a 3-pointer, to go back up 39-35. 

SRU came back to tie the game again in the fourth as both teams traded buckets and small leads. SRU went up 53-50 with 43 seconds to play before Fink cut the deficit to one with a layup just a few seconds later. The Rock then went 0-for-2 on a trip to the foul line but grabbed their own offensive board before turning it over. After a failed IUP possession, SRU split a pair at the line to take a 54-52 lead and give the ball back to the Hawks with 8.6 seconds left. On the inbound, Fink drove right and converted to tie the game and send it to overtime. 

Alexander knocked down two 3-pointers in the first overtime, but SRU's Deleah Gibson and Dejea Quick answered to keep the game tied at 62-62 for a second OT period. Alexander knocked down another tray and Fink later converted another bucket int the paint to give the Hawks a 67-64 lead. SRU stayed in the game with timely free throws after IUP fouls before freshman guard Kiera Baughman knocked down a mid-range jumper to put IUP on top 71-68 with 1:27 left. 

The Rock's next possession ended in a turnover but IUP couldn't extend its lead, giving way to one final Rock play as Quick's 3-point try from the right wing bounced into Preston's hands. 

After shooting 9-of-14 from the field in the first quarter, the Hawks went a combined 7-of-28 in the second and third. They regrouped to convert 14-of-26 in the fourth quarter and OT periods and ended up shooting 44.1 percent for the game. 

A total of 31 personal fouls were called as Slippery Rock went 9-of-16 from the foul line and IUP finished 5-of-7. 

Who stood out
Alexander had her biggest scoring night since returning from injury in mid-January, shooting 10-of-18 from the field including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. It was her fourth 20-point effort of the season and the fifth time she's hit four or more 3-pointers. 

Fink tallied her third 20-point game of the year, each coming in the last nine games. She went 9-of-19 from the field and added six rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. 

Notes
IUP extended its win streak over Slippery Rock to 29 straight games dating back to the 2006-07 season ... It was also the 15th straight home victory in the series for the Hawks ... IUP head coach Tom McConnell improved to 16-0 against SRU ... This was the first overtime game for IUP since defeating Cal U 68-65 in the PSAC quarterfinals in March 2020 ... IUP improved to 3-1 in overtime games under McConnell ... IUP improved to 49-11 in PSAC West games since the 2017-18 season, including 25-4 at home ... IUP is 103-16 at home under McConnell, including 55-8 since 2017-18.

Up next
The Crimson Hawks hit the road for the final time in the regular season on Wednesday when they square off against Edinboro (11-9, 9-8 PSAC). Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. IUP defeated the Fighting Scots 76-67 at the KCAC on Jan. 26. 

Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.