CLARION, Pa. – IUP women's basketball buckled down in a seesaw affair, knocking off Clarion with a 69-65 road victory.
 
IUP (17-7, 12-7) posted its third consecutive victory, using some excellent foul shooting to overcome periods of defensive breakdowns. The Hawks shot 88.9% from the line, converting 16 of 18 attempts from the charity stripe while placing four scorers in double figures.
 
Alana Cardona recorded a team-high 17 points with seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Gina Adams added 16 points, while Kiera Baughman logged 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Maria Cerro continued her strong play of late with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals
 
The Hawks utilized strong foul shooting, particularly in the third quarter and over the final minute, to climb back and stay ahead narrowly. Clarion (3-20, 3-15) dropped its 10th consecutive game in the team's home finale, placing two in double figures. Sierra Bermudez fired in 18 points, adding eight rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes of action.
 
Jada Smith had a strong first half for the Golden Eagles, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. Saturday's contest featured five ties and nine lead changes, despite the Golden Eagles owning a big advantage in paint points.
 
Cardona lifted IUP ahead for good with baskets at 3:14 and 2:23 in the fourth, helping the Hawks to their fifth straight regular season sweep of Clarion.
 
After a quick start in the first half, Clarion continued working its offense from the paint area, taking a 36-34 advantage into the intermission. Smith logged 10 points for the Golden Eagles, who held a 26-10 advantage in paint points over the opening 20 minutes.  
 
Clarion slashed ahead 9-0 over the initial 3:30 of the contest, prompting an early IUP timeout. The Hawks missed their initial six attempts as Clarion attacked the interior. Teirra Preston converted through contact for an and-one basket, trimming the IUP deficit to 13-6 with 4:18 showing in the first quarter.
 
Preston's basket kickstarted an 8-0 scoring run for IUP, which also included foul shots from Baughman and a triple from Cardona, bringing the Hawks back to within two. Cardona converted from beyond the arc again, this time working the IUP deficit to 17-16 with just over one minute remaining in the first quarter.
 
Cardona was forced to sit most of the second quarter after picking up her third foul with about 40 seconds left in the opening stanza. Baughman placed IUP ahead briefly with a triple from the left win, all part of an 11-2 spurt for the Hawks in the second.
 
Both sides continued trading baskets and the lead before Clarion mounted a 9-2 run that pushed the Golden Eagles ahead 34-30. Cerro got into double figures with a driving basket, trimming IUP's deficit to 36-34 with one minute left in the opening half.
 
The beginning of the second half saw more of the same, with the teams trading baskets as Clarion maintained a 44-40 edge. Both sides cooled off a bit before Cardona brought IUP back within two at 46-44 on an uncontested basket.
 
Baughman became the fourth IUP scorer in double figures with three made foul shots, handing IUP a 49-48 lead in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles worked the score tied at 53 at the end of the third quarter.
 
IUP opened the fourth with five consecutive points, including a trey from Adams, for a 58-53 advantage. The Hawks kept a narrow lead following a scoreless stretch that spanned over two minutes in the fourth. Preston worked free underneath for a timely basket and a 60-57 lead before the Golden Eagles countered back with a driving hoop from Bermudez. Siara Conley pushed Clarion back in front at 63-62, the eighth lead change of the contest, with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
Cardona had a key stretch of consecutive baskets, lifting IUP ahead 66-63, with each possession proving significant over the last two minutes of regulation. Preston converted a pair of key foul shots with 11 seconds remaining for a 68-65 advantage
 
Up Next
IUP is back home, welcoming Edinboro to the KCAC on Wednesday, February 15 for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. The Fighting Scots fell to Slippery Rock on Saturday, setting up a battle for second place in the PSAC West next week.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
 

---