GLENVILLE, W.Va. - A layup by Cal U's Ciaira Loyd with :00.6 seconds left gave the Vulcans the lead and sent IUP women's basketball home with a 52-51 loss in the opening round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon at the Wesbanco Arena.

The layup came after Loyd grabbed a rebound of her own miss with seconds to play. The Crimson Hawks rallied from a 9-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to take a 51-48 lead with 52 seconds left. The Vulcans converted a pair of free throws before the game-winning bucket.

The loss ends the season for the Hawks, who went 21-9 overall and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the seventh consecutive season under head coach Tom McConnell.

The heartbreaking loss did come with some joy earlier in the afternoon when senior guard Justina Mascaro hit the 1,000-point milestone with a layup in the fourth quarter. 

How it happened
The game was tight from the start as the first quarter featured two ties and two lead changes. IUP grabbed a 5-point lead at 18-13 early in the second quarter when Gina Adams converted on a pair at the foul line. 

The Vulcans later tied the game at 21-21, but buckets by freshman guard Kiera Baughman, Mascaro, and sophomore guard Maria Cerro gave IUP a 27-23 lead at the break.

Cal U owned the third quarter, outscoring IUP 21-8 by forcing seven turnovers and forcing the Hawks into 3-of-9 shooting.

Senior guard Courtney Alexander knocked down a 3-pointer at the start of the fourth, jump-starting a 16-4 run that gave the Hawks their 51-48 lead with 52 seconds left. As the Vulcans were clinging to a 45-44 lead, their top player Dejah Terrell was called for a flagrant foul and ejected from the game, resulting in three made free throws by junior guard Rajah Fink that gave IUP the lead.

Alexander later knocked down a short jumper and Mascaro converted a layup to put IUP on top by three points before the Vulcans hit a pair of free throws and the game-winner in the final 38 seconds. 

IUP outshot the Vulcans 40.9 percent to 31.3 percent, but committed 23 turnovers that Cal U converted into 17 points. IUP finished with the advantage on the glass at 39-to-35.

Who stood out
Baughman led IUP with her third double-double of the season, posting team-bests of 13 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes. Mascaro finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

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