GAME INFORMATION – PITT-JOHNSTOWN
INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team is back home for another key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West clash, taking on Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, February 8. Tipoff from the KCAC is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Live video coverage is available on the PSAC Digital Network, courtesy of IUP-TV Sports. The voice of IUP Sports, Jack Benedict, will have the call on U92.5 FM and the U92 Sports Channel.
IUP (15-7, 10-7) overcame a sluggish start for a balanced 82-64 road win at Mercyhurst on Monday. The Hawks kept pace in the PSAC West playoff picture, tied for fifth in the league standings with a 10-7 conference mark.
IUP trailed 9-0 on the road against the Lakers, bouncing back near the end of the opening quarter and starting strong in the second stanza.
Gina Adams logged her best scoring output since late January with a game-high 19 points, going 8-for-8 from the foul line while adding some timely buckets from behind the arc.
Maria Cerro and
Teirra Preston added 18 points each for the IUP, while
Alana Cardona added 17 points. IUP dominated the paint area and won the rebounding battle, shooting 58.0% for the game. The Hawks are second in the conference in rebounding margin, using their interior game to dispatch the Lakers earlier this week. One of their most impressive outings of the season, IUP avenged its first setback of 2022-23 to Mercyhurst in early January.
Pitt-Johnstown (13-9, 10-6) suffered an 83-66 road setback at nationally-ranked Gannon on Monday night. The Mountain Cats are just above IUP in the league standings with a 10-6 conference mark.
The PSAC West continues to fluctuate with just one game separating the second through five positions in the league. IUP and UPJ are part of a compacted Western division, both just one game behind California (Pa.). Gannon continues to distance itself during the stretch run with a 14-3 league mark, winners of four in a row.
Gannon used a fast start with efficient shooting to pull ahead from UPJ early. Ashley Norling posted team-highs of 18 points and eight rebounds, and Makalyn Clapper added 15 points (7-9 free-throws) for the Mountain Cats.
IUP hopes to rebound from one of its most disjointed offensive showings this season in a 62-42 road loss to the Mountain Cats on January 14.
Kiera Baughman, who ranks 13th in the league in scoring average, paced the Hawks with 12 points and three assists back in January.
The Hawks were limited to seven field goals in the second half in Johnstown, converting just three triples on the afternoon. Peyton Alazaus poured in a game-high 16 points with nine rebounds, one of four Mountain Cats in double figures during the initial meeting with IUP.
The Hawks are 15-3 against UPJ since 2013, with two of the three losses coming in Johnstown the past two seasons. IUP has a 9-0 record at home against UPJ since the 2013 season.
