JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team blitzed the paint in a 79-62 victory on Wednesday night against Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action.
IUP (11-3, 7-2) got a bounceback performance on both ends of the floor with another balanced output, finishing the game 54.4% from the floor as a team. The Crimson Hawks dominated along the interior with a 40-28 edge in rebounds and a 56-26 margin in paint points.
Grace Centrulla reached 1,000 points during her collegiate career (Mercyhurst/IUP) with her first basket of the night. Her milestone basket put IUP ahead for good at 10-8 in the first quarter as part of a complete effort for the visitors.
Maria Cerro fired in a season-high 18 points (6-8 FG) in the victory, pouring in 11 points in the third quarter alone.
Teirra Preston flirted with a double-double, posting 18 points and eight rebounds.
Rahmena Henderson logged 13 points, six rebounds and three steals and
Kiera Baughman added 11 points, two rebounds and three assists.
IUP converted just three baskets from beyond the arc but were solid from the foul line after dealing with some inconsistency from that area, putting together one of its best efforts from the charity stripe all season (14-16). The Crimson Hawks shut down a senior-laden UPJ lineup, holding the Mountain Cats to 32.8% from the floor.
IUP held Cassidy Crawford (1-11 FG) scoreless for over three quarters despite the talented forward averaging about 17 points per contest entering the matchup. A strong three-point shooting team, IUP held UPJ to 5-for-20 from beyond the arc. Peyton Alazaus notched 17 points and six rebounds, while Camille Dominick added 13 points (6-8 FG) and six boards off the bench.
IUP used efficient shooting and pestering defense to mount a 10-point lead at 27-17 early in the second quarter. Attacking the low post, the Mountain Cats had no answers for the Crimson Hawks, which shot around 60% from the floor into the second quarter.
Centrulla's 1,000th career point jumpstarted an 11-6 surge to close out the initial 10 minutes. Centrulla finished with eight points, eight rebounds and one block for the Hawks. A stickback from Preston highlighted a 12-2 blitz from IUP in the second quarter for a 33-19 advantage.
The Crimson Hawks were balanced from the interior in the early going, drawing contact and converting at the foul line in the process. IUP limited UPJ to multiple one-and-done possessions during the scoring run, winning the battle of the boards in a big way throughout the second period.
IUP continued attacking the paint in the second quarter, taking a 40-27 lead into the intermission.
Kiera Baughman dropped in two foul shots just before the end of the first half, helping IUP to a 10-for-11 clip from the line across the opening 20 minutes.
The balanced Crimson Hawks shot 57.7% from the floor and 63.6% in the second quarter, holding a 28-8 edge in paint points. Henderson posted a team-high eight points in the opening half for IUP, while Alazaus kept UPJ within striking distance behind 12 points in the first half. Cerro and
Janeira Scott posted seven points each for IUP in the first half, while Centrulla and Preston chipped in six points apiece.
The hot shooting carried over to the second half as Cerro and Preston got into double figures with buckets in the third quarter, part of a larger 12-2 run for a 49-29 edge. Cerro continued her stellar effort with a basket through contact, widening the advantage to 51-29 midway through the third. IUP's lead hovered around 20 for much of the third quarter with Cerro leading the charge.
Preston beat the third quarter buzzer with a long two from the left wing, ballooning the IUP lead to 64-41. UPJ posted an 11-2 run of its own to get back within 70-52 following a Camille Dominick jumper at the 5:49 mark of the fourth.
The scoring run did not put much of a dent into the IUP lead as the Crimson Hawks, which remained in front by about 20 points the rest of the way.
Macie Jarrett connected on a driving basket with 2:05 remaining, getting involved quickly off the bench for a 79-60 margin.
Up Next
IUP returns home on Saturday, January 20 for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff against Edinboro.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
