INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball program makes the trip to Greensburg for a divisional road matchup against Seton Hill on Wednesday, January 24. Tipoff from the McKenna Center is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL  
IUP (11-4, 7-3 PSAC) at Seton Hill (9-7, 6-4 PSAC)   
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 – 5:30 p.m. – McKenna Center – Greensburg, Pa.    
Game Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) — Live Stats — Live Audio
Social Media Updates: @IUP_WBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
TIPOFF NEWS AND NOTES  

• IUP dropped its first home game of the season with a 70-69 setback to Edinboro last time out on January 20 at the KCAC.
• The Crimson Hawks play four doubleheaders in a one-week stretch, beginning Wednesday at Seton Hill. From there, IUP hosts Slippery Rock (Jan. 27) and Cal U (Jan. 29) before visiting Clarion (Jan. 31).
• IUP held steady at no. 9 in the latest D2CSC Atlantic Region rankings release.
• IUP is 3-0 in games following a loss this season, defeating Goldey-Beacom (Nov. 18), Mansfield (Dec. 18) and Pitt-Johnstown (Jan. 17) following setbacks the game prior.
• A back-and-forth contest, the IUP/Edinboro game featured nine ties and 19 lead changes. Edinboro's Hayley Sims stuck the go-ahead basket from the right corner with six seconds remaining.
• Teirra Preston, Rahmena Henderson and Nyshae' Weaver posted 12 points each, while Maria Cerro added 11 for the Hawks last time out. IUP held a 47-37 advantage on the boards.
• Grace Centrulla logged three blocks against Edinboro, surpassing 100 for her collegiate career (Mercyhurst/IUP).
• IUP and Seton Hill split a pair of meetings last season with both squads winning on their home floor. The Hawks fell to the Griffins, 65-60, at the McKenna Center back in February 2023.
• The Crimson Hawks and Griffins are two of six teams in the PSAC West separated by just two games. Gannon leads the division with an 11-0 mark in conference play, while five teams have at least seven divisional victories entering the week.
• IUP is second in the PSAC in steals/game (10.7) and fourth best in the conference in forcing turnovers with opponents committing an average of 19.2 giveaways per contest.
• Henderson has posted double figures in all 15 games this season for the Crimson Hawks, entering at 16.2 points/game (6th in the PSAC).
• Nyshae Weaver leads the PSAC in rebounding average (9.1), just missing a double-double least time out with 12 points and nine boards. Weaver has 10+ rebounds in six outings this season for the Crimson Hawks.
• Preston leads the team with 38 steals, good for second in the league in steals/game (2.5).

 
SETON HILL AT A GLANCE

• Seton Hill rallied for a 66-62 home win against Mercyhurst last weekend. Christiane Frye scored her 1,000th career point in the victory.
• SHU leads the PSAC and ranks 19th nationally in scoring offense (76.3), also leading the league in rebounding (42.8). Three players are among the top 15 in the league in rebounding average.
• Frye is second in the conference in scoring (19.2), eighth in rebounding (5.1) and first in steals (3.27) as one of the top players in the league.
• Sakeria Henderson is seventh in the conference in blocked shots (18)
• Despite the impressive offensive numbers, the Griffins are fourth worst in the conference in scoring defense (69.2).
• Maeve Gallagher took over for his first season as the Griffins' head coach in 2023-24, previously spending two seasons as an assistant before replacing longtime head coach Mark Katarski.

 
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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 150-27 (.847) 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)
  • 33 of their last 42 (33-9)
  • 49 of their last 60 (49-11)
  • 62 of their last 75 (62-13) since 2018-19

 
COACHING TIES FOR CRAIG CAREY

• Head coach Craig Carey (28-14 record) was named the program's head coach full-time 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.

 
IUP DEFENSE FORCING THE ISSUE

• With an aggressive style, the IUP defense has found a groove, playing a large role in the team's success this season that included a six-game winning streak.
• IUP is now third in the league in scoring defense (57.2), good for 26th nationally. Additionally, IUP is forcing opponents into an average of 19.2 turnovers per game, good for fourth in the league. IUP is second in the PSAC in steals/game (10.7).

 
HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU?

• IUP is third in the conference in assists/game, handing out an average of 15.3 per contest. 
• Kiera Baughman is 10th in the league with 2.9 assists/game, while seven players have 20+ assists this season for the Hawks.
• As a team, IUP has dealt out 20 or more assists in three contests this season.

 
A TEAM EFFORT IN THE REBOUNDING DEPARTMENT

• IUP is second in the PSAC and 16th nationally with a +8.1 rebounding margin.
• The Hawks are fourth in the PSAC in offensive rebounding (13.7) and seventh in the league in defensive rebounding (26.0).
• IUP has outrebounded its opponents in 12 of 15 games this season, including a double-figure edge in rebounds five times.

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 30 minutes/game since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• Baughman has become the key facilitator for IUP in 2023-24, averaging 2.9 assists/game (10th in the PSAC) and a team-high 44 assists. She boasts 843 career points on 39.5% 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 her first 15 games for the Crimson Hawks.
• Henderson ranks sixth in the league in scoring (16.2), third in minutes (35.9), second in steals (2.5). She is second on the team with 37 total steals.  
• She's played all 40 minutes six times this season and has found her touch from beyond the arc, converting at a 36.7% (22-60) clip from beyond during conference play. 

 
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 +8.1, good for second in the conference and 16th nationally. The interior trio of Teirra Preston, Grace Centrulla and Nyshae' Weaver all enter the week averaging at least 7.4 points/game.
• Weaver (1st; 9.1) and Preston (8th; 8.1) are each among the top 10 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 105 games since 2018-19, boasting 614 points and 553 rebounds in her career. Preston has nine career double-doubles (two in 2023-24) and leads the team in steals (38).
• Weaver has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in six outings for IUP, providing a key option off the bench for the Hawks while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.
• Centrulla (Career: 89 GP, 1,012 Pts, 585 Rebs, 101 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 98 career appearances and 71 collegiate starts, Cerro is returned to the lineup after missing the Hawks' crossover matchups on December 1-2. Working back into the starting lineup, Cerro posted a season-best 18 points (6-8 FG) at UPJ on January 17.
• Cerro ranked fifth in the PSAC in steals (61) as a junior in 2022-23, boasting 107 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 stepped into the starting lineup for several games 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. 

 
RECORD BOOK WATCH
Career Rebounds
16. 559 – Megan Smith (2014-18)
17. 579 – Adriene Douglas (1981-84)
18. 569 – Lisetta Boccella (1982-86)
19. 567 – Jacqui Martin (2000-04)
20. 553 – Teirra Preston (2018-Pres)
 
Career Three-Pointers Made
15. 113 – Amy Fairman (2011-15)
16. 111 – Kylie Miller (2005-09)
17. 101 – Molly Carr (1995-99)
18. 96 – Kiera Baughman (2021-Pres)
19. 86 – Lisa Bendick (1991-95)
20. 84 – Kiley Nadwony (1992-96)
 
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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