ERIE, Pa. – IUP women's basketball could not overcome a slow start, playing catch-up throughout in a 68-52 loss to No. 3/4 Gannon on Saturday afternoon at Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center.
IUP (10-3, 6-2) had its six-game winning streak end, while Gannon (17-1, 9-0) continues to cement itself atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West with its 14th consecutive win. Trailing throughout the game and battling foul trouble, IUP got back within nine with under four minutes left in the game before Gannon sealed the victory. The Hawks shot 33.3% from the floor, converting just three shots from beyond the arc on the day.
Rahmena Henderson posted a team-high 18 points (7-21 FG) with five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Kiera Baughman posted nine points, while
Nyshae' Weaver and
Maria Cerro added seven points each.
Grace Centrulla pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds with Weaver adding 10 more for an IUP team that battled foul trouble.
Bri Claxon dropped in 23 points for the Knights, finding a groove in the second half to help seal the victory. Meanwhile, Sam Pirosko logged a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. GU finished 48.3% from the field, closing the game on a 7-0 run while leading for all but three seconds.
The Knights held a 42-32 edge in paint points and used timely responses following every IUP rally throughout the game. Gannon got off to a hot start with an 8-0 start to begin the game, forcing three turnovers from the Crimson Hawks in the early going. The Knights extended the advantage to 12-3 midway through the opening frame as the slow start continued for IUP.
The Hawks eventually trimmed their deficit to three points at 12-9 following a layin from Preston and a pair of foul shots from Baughman, holding Gannon scoreless for several minutes as the clock ticked near two minutes in the first.
Gannon forced six IUP turnovers in the first quarter, taking a 17-12 edge while shooting 53.3% from the floor over the initial 10 minutes of the contest. Henderson had six points for IUP in the first, matching Bri Claxon's six points for the Knights.
Both teams settled in defensively in the second quarter while Gannon stretched its lead to 21-14 on a driving basket from Pirosko. Preston picked up her third personal foul on the play and was forced to head to the bench as IUP went nearly eight minutes without a basket in the second quarter.
With each side trading three-point baskets, the Knights maintained a seven-point advantage at 28-21. Despite holding the edge on the glass, IUP found itself down 28-22 at the intermission after shooting just 22.6% from the floor.
Henderson led IUP with 10 first half points, while Weaver added eight boards (three personal fouls) in 13 minutes off the bench. The Knights had chances to widen the margin with IUP hanging tight. GU went just 1-for-6 from three-point range and the foul line, holding the lead for all but three seconds of the first half.
IUP sliced its deficit to within two points (28-26) after forcing some early turnovers to begin the second half. Gannon countered swiftly with a 6-0 run to regain the momentum at 34-26 with some frenetic action in the third.
The shooting woes continued for the Hawks, which struggled to close the gap in the third. Pirosko began taking over in the third quarter, connecting on seven of eight field goal attempts, part of a 10-1 run that pushed GU ahead 46-31. Eventually pair of quick hoops, including an acrobatic finish from Henderson at 2:48, got IUP back within single digits at 46-37 on a 6-0 blitz.
Gannon closed the third quarter ahead 50-39 in what turned out to be a high scoring frame for both sides. The efficient offense continued for each team at the onset of the fourth with GU maintaining a double figure lead despite
Grace Centrulla finding a rhythm along the low block. Baughman canned a long jumper, part of a 7-0 surge for IUP that sliced its deficit to 61-52 with under four minutes remaining. Unfortunately for IUP, the run spanned over four minutes as time became of the essence. After a miss from straightaway, Claxon essentially sealed the game with a triple from the left wing for a 66-52 edge.
Up Next
IUP looks to refocus, squaring off against Pitt-Johnstown on the road on Wednesday, January 17 at 5:30 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
