INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball program used a strong fourth quarter to knock off Mercyhurst in a convincing 61-41 victory on Wednesday night at the KCAC in the team's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West opener.
 
IUP (10-2, 6-1) controlled the game throughout, shooting 44% as a team with a balanced output. Another strong defensive showing, the Hawks limited Mercyhurst (11-3, 7-1) to 22% from the floor in the second half and 19% in the fourth quarter.
 
Kiera Baughman posted a game-high 14 points (5-6 FT), while Rahmena Henderson logged her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Maria Cerro added nine points and four rebounds, while Grace Centrulla chipped in eight points and nine rebounds against her former team.
 
Janeira Scott and Nyshae' Weaver posted six points apiece for the balanced Hawks, which snapped an 11-game winning streak for Mercyhurst with the triumph. The Lakers mustered just 17 points in the second half, led by 11 points from Danielle Klare.
 
In a tightly-contested defensive game throughout, IUP withstood a rally from the Lakers early in the second half with a strong response to close out the third quarter. The Hawks eventually took over in the fourth period behind a big advantage in the paint.
 
IUP finished the first quarter on a 6-1 spurt over the final 3:27, leading 14-10 before zipping ahead by eight (20-12) on a jumper from Elene Benito in the second. The teams went back and forth down the stretch of the opening half with IUP taking a 30-26 advantage into the intermission.
 
Mercyhurst used a 7-2 rally to open the second half, whittling the deficit back within one at 32-31. It was as close as the Lakers got the remainder of the contest as IUP responded with a lengthy 11-1 run over most of the third quarter. The Hawks limited Mercyhurst to just six total field goals in the second half, with just three in the third quarter.
 
A steal from Scott led to a jumper for Henderson, closing out the third quarter blitz for a 43-32 lead. The Lakers got back to double figures once more, coming at the foul line to round out the third quarter scoring. The Hawks scored the initial six points of the fourth and held the Lakers off the board for about four minutes in the frame.
 
The Hawks continued the strong play on the defensive end, using an 8-2 run to put the game away with just over two minutes remaining.
 
Up Next
IUP visits third-ranked Gannon on Saturday, January 13 for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff in Erie.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.  
   

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