INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team rolled to an 85-39 victory against Slippery Rock on Saturday at the KCAC.
 
IUP (13-4, 9-3) led 21-3 after the opening quarter and never looked back, putting the game away early. The Hawks shot 55.0% from the floor for the game, placing five scorers in double figures.
 
Rahmena Henderson poured in a game-high 19 points, going 8-for-9 from the floor in an efficient 21 minutes. Nyshae' Weaver racked up another double-double for IUP in a well-rounded effort, finishing with 15 points and 14 rebounds (eight offensive).
 
Slippery Rock (2-13, 2-10) found some offensive footing in the second quarter, unable to dig out of an early hole. IUP limited SRU to its lowest scoring output in the head-to-head series since January 2020. Kristina Donza posted 10 hard-earned points off the bench for SRU.
 
Grace Centrulla had 12 points and six assists, while Maria Cerro added 10 points and seven assists, recording a +49 rating. Macie Jarrett finished with four steals and Janeira Scott added three more, accounting for seven of 12 steals on the day for the Crimson Hawks.
 
IUP stormed out of the gate, capitalizing on its fast start to open up a comfortable first half advantage. Leading 44-18 heading into the intermission, IUP shot 59.4% from the floor and 71.4% in the second quarter.
 
Two IUP players posted double figures in the first half with Centrulla and Henderson firing in 10 points apiece. Slippery Rock committed 11 first half turnovers and had 15 of 18 first half points come in the second quarter.
 
The Hawks opened the game with 10 straight points and closed the half with a 7-0 spurt. Centrulla and Baughman converted from beyond the arc in the early run and the Crimson Hawks were off an running. A driving basket from Cerro pushed IUP ahead 21-3, an advantage that only ballooned as the half progressed.
 
A nine-point flurry late in the second quarter carried IUP to a 37-15 margin, with seven of those points coming from Henderson alone. The Hawks continued clamping down on SRU at the end of the half, taking a 26-point edge into the intermission.
 
IUP led by as many as 49 points in the second half with 5:37 remaining in the game, continuing to keep SRU at bay while working in several lineup combinations. The Hawks finished with 26 points off turnovers and 46 paint points in the victory.
 
Up Next
IUP has a quick turnaround, welcoming California (Pa.) to the KCAC on Monday, January 29 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.