INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team has a chance to avenge a pair of its earlier divisional losses in a busy week, looking to right the ship heading toward the stretch run of the season. IUP visits Mercyhurst on Monday, February 6 at 5:30 p.m. before hosting Pitt-Johnstown two days later on Wednesday, February 6.
IUP (14-7, 9-7) has dropped four of the last five outings, now in fifth place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West standings. In a compacted division, seven teams are in the mix for the final five postseason spots.
Gannon (21-3, 13-3) created some separation atop the PSAC West with a 71-67 victory against IUP last weekend.
Maria Cerro continued her strong stretch offensively, posting 20 points and seven assists on 7-11 shooting against the Knights.
IUP lost both initial meetings this season against Mercyhurst on January 7 and UPJ on January 14. The 79-71 setback against the Lakers was one of just two home defeats this season for a young IUP squad under first-year head coach
Craig Carey.
The Lakers were idle last weekend, previously dropping a narrow 61-60 road decision at Edinboro on February 1. Moragn Gentile stuck the game-winning jumper off a steal for Edinboro with 31 seconds remaining. Jayde Boyd and Grace Centrulla posted 18 points apiece for Mercyhurst.
GAME INFORMATION – MERCYHURST
TIPOFF NOTES
- IUP has relied on its starting lineup this season, with all five averaging double figures. Kiera Baughman is 11th in the PSAC ins coring average at 15.0 points/game, while Teirra Preston is third in the league in rebounding/average (9.4).
- Gannon used a key surge between the end of the first quarter and start of the second to pull away from the Hawks. The run put Gannon ahead for good as IUP could not narrow the gap in the second half.
- Alana Cardona is 42.8% from beyond the arc over the last three games for IUP. She is ninth in the league with 8.3 rebounds per game, pulling in 10 or more eight times.
- Mercyhurst is eighth in the nation in three-point percentage, converting at 37.4% this season. The Lakers went 10-for-21 from beyond the arc in a 79-71 victory against IUP on January 7.
- The Hawks placed five in double figures against the Lakers during the first meeting between the two squads, with Cerro dropping in 19 points and adding three steals.
