EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball program overcame a sluggish start before coming on strong in a 73-52 road win against East Stroudsburg on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover play.
 
IUP (7-2, 4-1) posts its third in a row and used a key stretch in the second quarter to climb back into the game before eventually taking the lead the rest of the way. After shooting 7.1% (1-14) in the first quarter, the Hawks found their footing offensively, finishing 38.5% for the game with nine three-point baskets.
 
Rahmena Henderson's timely shooting from deep helped kickstart the decisive IUP run in the second quarter, part of a stellar afternoon for the team's leading scorer. Henderson recorded her first career double-double with 18 points (6-12 3FG) and 10 rebounds, adding six steals and two assists.
 
Nyshae' Weaver matched a season-high 18 points for IUP, adding nine rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. Teirra Preston just missed out on a double-double of her own with nine points and nine boards, while Grace Centrulla navigated the middle of the zone defense with six assists, three rebounds and three steals.
 
All nine available IUP players recorded at least one basket, who outscored ESU (3-7, 1-4) by 17 points in the second half. ESU placed two scorers in double figures, led by Carley Adam's 12 points. Cassidy Saylor added 10 points for the Warriors, which had one final push late in the third quarter before IUP swiftly regained control at the onset of the fourth.
 
Both sides endured a sluggish start from the floor in the opening quarter as IUP trailed 11-5 following the opening quarter of action. IUP made one of its initial 14 field goal attempts in the quarter as the visitors added three more points at the foul line.
 
Preston accounted for all five IUP points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, ESU shot 40% (4-10) from the floor over the opening 10 minutes, converting just as the first quarter clock expired for the 11-5 advantage.
 
The Warriors continued attacking the offensive glass, stretching their lead to 16-7. IUP stayed the course, clamping down on defense before finding its shooting touch late in the quarter. In a back and forth second quarter, IUP racked up 25 points in the stanza, closing the half on a 17-4 surge over the final 5:18.
 
Macie Jarrett drilled the first three-point basket for either side from the right wing as IUP got back with 16-10. The beneficiary of some outstanding ball movement along the perimeter, it marked the first points for Jarrett in an IUP uniform after joining the program at the conclusion of the fall semester.  
 
ESU continued sharing the ball well in response, using a 6-0 spurt for a 22-13 lead midway throughout the second quarter. The Hawks countered with an 8-0 run across the next two-plus minutes, which included a bucket through contact for Nyshae' Weaver and a triple from Henderson, trimming the deficit to 22-21.
 
It was a sign of things to come as IUP found a rhythm from beyond the arc, taking its first lead of the afternoon at 27-26 on a Kiera Baughman trey at the 1:48 mark of the second. Henderson nailed her third triple of the contest, part of a larger 17-4 spurt for the Hawks in the second to regain the advantage.
 
Leading 20-26 going into the half, IUP shot 55.6% from the floor in the second period while connecting at a 5-for-9 clip from deep to battle back in front. Henderson led all scorers with nine points in the first half (3-8 3FG), while Grace Centrulla dealt out three assists for the Hawks across the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Hawks stormed out of the gate with a seven-point blitz, pushing the advantage to double figures at 37-28 with a balanced approach. From there, the IUP advantage hovered around 10 points in the third spurred by some aggressive play on the defensive end. ESU would not go quietly, taking advantage of another IUP shooting drought to chip away back within 46-39.
 
Baughman helped IUP pull away for good with a layup from Janeira Scott for a 52-39 advantage. Scott collected a steal on the defensive end of the floor before finding Baughman for the transition bucket early in the fourth. Maria Cerro drove in for her first bucket of the day, finishing through contact for a 59-44 edge following the and-one foul shot.

Baughman finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists on the afternoon. 
 
IUP began asserting itself down the stretch against a fledgling ESU offense, which entering the contest last in the conference in scoring average. Elena Benito became the fourth IUP player to convert from beyond the arc, this one expanding the lead to 73-50 with under two minutes remaining before finishing out the victory.
 
Up Next
IUP is set for a three-game homestand to begin the new year, beginning Wednesday, January 3 for a PSAC crossover clash against Shepherd at 5:30 p.m. from the KCAC.
 
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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