INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball program begins the 2024 calendar year with a PSAC crossover matchup on Wednesday, January 3, hosting Shepherd for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the KCAC.
 
It marks the final PSAC crossover game for the Hawks and opens a three-game homestand to begin 2024. The Hawks host Daemen on Saturday, January 6 to round out noncofnerence play before beginning PSAC West play against Mercyhurst on January 10. 
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL  
IUP (7-2, 4-1 PSAC) vs. Shepherd (3-7, 1-4 PSAC)  
Wednesday, January 3, 2024 – 5:30 p.m. -- KCAC – Indiana, Pa.  
Game Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) – Live Stats – Live Audio (U92.5FM)
Social Media Updates: @IUP_WBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
TIPOFF NEWS AND NOTES  

• IUP held serve defensively in a 73-52 win at East Stroudsburg, helping combat a slow start from the floor that included one make across the team's initial 14 field goal attempts in the first quarter.
• The Crimson Hawks again received contributions from across the lineup, knocking down some timely shots from deep to answer back and eventually overtake ESU last time out. Rahmena Henderson helped spur IUP's key 17-4 blitz in the second quarter, finishing the afternoon with a game-high 18 points (6-12 3FG), 10 rebounds and six steals for a double-double.
• IUP will finally get into a playing rhythm for the remainder of the regular season, competing Wednesday's and Saturday's the rest of the way apart from a Monday contest on January 29.  
• Henderson joins Christiane Frye (Seton Hill) as the only two players in the conference to rank among the top five in scoring and steals. Henderson is fifth in the conference in scoring average (16.9) and second in steals/game (2.9).
• Teirra Preston is set for her 100th career appearance at IUP in Wednesday's game, set to make her 35th career start. The most tenured player on the IUP roster, Preston ranks third in the league in field goal percentage (.536), seventh in the PSAC in rebounding average (8.1), fifth in steals (24) and fourth in steals/game (2.6).
• Nyshae' Weaver continues to assert herself in a dynamic group of forwards as a key contributor off the bench for the Hawks, matching a season-high 18 points with nine rebounds in 25 minutes at ESU on December 30. Weaver is fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.9) and would rank second in the league in field goal percentage (.583) if she had enough attempts to qualify.
• IUP has become increasingly pesky on the defensive side of the ball, continuing to implement the defensive approach of second-year head coach Craig Carey. As a team, the Hawks pace the PSAC in steals/game (11.8) and have three individuals among the top six in the conference in steals.
• IUP has forced at least 22 turnovers in each of the last three games, including 26 against Mansfield back on December 18. The Hawks are third in the PSAC in turnovers forced/game (20.56) and are also third in scoring defense (56.6).
• Kiera Baughman logged double figures for the second straight game with 11 points across 26 minutes at ESU. The junior guard has seen an uptick in assists recently, rising to fifth in the league in assists/game (3.7).  

 
 
SHEPHERD AT A GLANCE

• Looking to rebuild the Shepherd women's program, second-year head coach Julie Kaufman has the Rams trending in the right direction. After a one-win season in 2022-23, the Rams have gone 3-7 so far this season with wins against Slippery Rock and Cheyney.
• The Rams are near the bottom of the league in both scoring offense (14th; 59.3) and scoring defense (16th; 72.5), paced by four players averaging at least eight points or more.
• Dearia Hairston posted a career-best 15 points in a 70-55 loss for the Rams against 9-2 Mercyhurst on December 30.
• Peyton Grant is fifth in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage (.417), knocking down 25 triples on the season.
• Shepherd has won two of the last three meetings against IUP, most recently a 67-58 win in December 2021 against the Hawks at the KCAC. The Rams also dispatched IUP by a 68-60 count in the 2015 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament at Cal U.

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HOME COURT ADVANTAGE 

• Since the KCAC opened in the 2011-12 season, IUP has had an outstanding home court advantage to go along with a nationally prominent basketball program.
• IUP boasts a 147-26 (.849) mark in home games since the venue opened, not losing more than four home games in a single season during that span.
• At the KCAC, the IUP women have won:
  • 13 of 17 games in 2022-23 (13-4)
  • 30 of their last 38 (30-8)
  • 46 of their last 56 (46-10)
  • 59 of their last 71 (59-12) since 2018-19

 
COACHING TIES FOR CRAIG CAREY

• Head coach Craig Carey was named the program's head coach on a full-time basis in 2023-24, serving in an interim role during his first season in 2022-23.
• Carey is the son of former longtime WVU head coach (and current UCF assistant) Mike Carey, a 34-year coaching veteran within the Big 12 Conference.
• Carey led IUP to an 18-10 record and a conference tournament berth despite arriving just before the season last year. The Hawks played six players for much of the season while using an up-tempo style for much of the year.
• Carey is a 2012 graduate of WVU, playing one season with the Mountaineer men's program before assisting his father with the women's squad.

 
BAUGHMAN RETURNS AS ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREE

• Junior guard Kiera Baughman returns for her second season as a full-time starter with the Crimson Hawks, earning All-PSAC West First Team honors in 2022-23.
• Baughman has been a consistent presence along the IUP backcourt, particularly over the last two seasons, averaging over 34 minutes/game since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• Baughman has become the key facilitator for IUP in 2023-24, averaging 3.7 assists/game (5th in the PSAC) and a team-high 33 assists. She boasts 787 career points on 40.4% shooting, logging a season-high 22 points at Goldey-Beacom on November 18.  

 
HENDERSON PROVING TO BE AN ALL-AROUND STANDOUT IN DEBUT SEASON FOR IUP

• Transfer guard Rahmena Henderson has quickly established herself as one of the top players in the region, joining the Hawks for her first season in 2023-24.
• Named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week on November 20, 2023, Henderson has posted double digits in each of the first nine games for the Crimson Hawks.
• Henderson ranks fifth in the league in scoring (16.9), fifth in minutes (35:11), second in steals (2.8). She leads the team lead in overall steals (26).
• She's played all 40 minutes three this season and has found her touch from beyond the arc, leading the PSAC in three-point baskets per game (2.56) and going 48.6% (18-37) from deep in five PSAC games.

 
IUP FORWARDS BRING VAST SKILLSET

• IUP has a talented group of forwards that each provide a unique skillset and role on the team, helping the Hawks to a rebounding margin of +6.3, good for third in the conference. The interior trio of Teirra Preston, Grace Centrulla and Nyshae' Weaver all enter the weekend averaging at least nine points/game.
• Weaver (4th; 8.9) and Preston (7th; 8.1) are each among the top seven in the conference in rebounding average.
• Preston is the veteran of the team, returning as a graduate student in 2023-24. She has played in a team-high 99 games since 2018-19, boasting 559 points and 505 rebounds in her career. Preston has nine career double-doubles (two in 2023-24) and is second on the team in steals (24).
• Weaver has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in four of the last five outings outings for IUP, providing a key option off the bench for the Hawks while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.
• Centrulla (Career: 83 GP, 969 Pts, 539 Rebs, 94 Blocks) gives IUP the ability to stretch the floor with an athletic inside/outside game, transferring in after three seasons at Mercyhurst for her first season with the Hawks in 2023-24. Centrulla handed out six assists with three steals in the win over ESU back on December 30.

 
CERRO PROVIDES TWO-WAY ABILITY AS AN EXPERIENCED GUARD

• Maria Cerro is the most experienced guard on the IUP roster, starting at least 18 games each of the past three seasons.
• Making 92 career appearances and 68 collegiate starts, Cerro is returned to the lineup after missing the Hawks' crossover matchups on December 1-2.
• Cerro ranked fifth in the PSAC in steals (61) as a junior in 2022-23, boasting 103 steals in her collegiate career. Averaging just over seven points/game for her career, Cerro has emerged as a dynamic two-way contributor for the Crimson Hawks.

 
JARRETT PROVIDES REINFORCEMENTS FOR IUP

• Much like Janeira Scott did last season, Macie Jarrett joins the IUP women's roster as a midyear addition, previously playing at Edinboro in 2021-22 and 2022-23. She scored her first points as a Crimson Hawks with a three from the right win against ESU on December 30.
• Jarrett made 52 career appearances at Edinboro, along with 15 starts. Averaging just under 19 minutes/game in her collegiate career, Jarrett registered a career high 15 points against Salem (W.Va.) in November 2022.
• Meanwhile, Scott has stepped into the starting lineup of late and helps anchor an aggressive defensive approach for the Hawks.

 
ALEXANDER LENDING EXPERIENCE ON THE BENCH

• Former IUP sharpshooter Courtney Alexander returned to the bench midway through the 2022-23 season, joining Carey's coaching staff and returning to her alma mater as an assistant coach.
• Alexander made 100 career appearances as a student-athlete at IUP, spanning 2016-20 and 2021-22. She holds the program's single-game record for three-point baskets in a game, canning nine triples against Shippensburg in December 2021.
• Alexander scored 687 career points across her collegiate career, shooting 37.0% from beyond the arc. She was part of two PSAC championship squads, along with a regional title and NCAA DII Final Four appearance.  

  
FOLLOW  
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB. 
 

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