INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball program finishes out the nonconference portion of the schedule, welcoming a talented Daemen squad to the KCAC on Saturday, January 6 for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff.  
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL  
IUP (8-2, 5-1 PSAC) vs. Daemen (8-3, 3-0 ECC)   
Saturday, January 6, 2024 – 1:00  p.m. -- KCAC – Indiana, Pa.  
Game Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) – Live Stats
Social Media Updates: @IUP_WBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
TIPOFF NEWS AND NOTES  

• IUP is beginning to click on both sides of the ball, entering Saturday's matchup with four consecutive wins. Daemen is riding high as well, fresh off the program's first win against a top-five opponent since becoming a member of NCAA DII with Wednesday's home win against fifth-ranked Ferris State.
• The Crimson Hawks enter the weekend ranked third in both scoring offense (73.5) and scoring defense (56.1).
• IUP boasts a perfect 5-0 record at home this season and has gone 60-12 at home since the 2018-19 season.
• IUP got contributions throughout the lineup in Wednesday's 80-52 victory against Shepherd. Four players finished in double figures for the Crimson Hawks with Rahmena Henderson and Nyshae' Weaver tying for the team lead in scoring for a second consecutive game.
• Weaver is averaging a double-double across six conference games this season and has elevated to second in the league in rebounding average (9.2). Meanwhile, Rahmena Henderson is still one of just two players to rank among the top five in the league in both scoring average (5th; 16.7) and steals/game (2nd; 2.90).  
• IUP held a big advantage along the interior against Shepherd in rebounding (47 to 29), second-chance points (22 to 3) and paint points (52 to 22).
• Grace Centrulla is inching closer to a pair of career milestones, now just 22 points shy of 1,000 in her collegiate career (Mercyhurst/IUP) and five blocks shy of 100.
• Teirra Preston just missed out on a double-double in her 100th collegiate game against Shepherd, posting 10 points (5-8 FG), eight rebounds and five steals. Her five steals pushed her into a tie for second in the league in steals/game (2.9) with Henderson.
• Preston is 30 rebounds shy of breaking into the top 20 in program history. Meanwhile, Maria Cerro is eight assist shy from reaching 20th in program history (247).
• IUP is forcing 20.9 turnovers/game and lead the PSAC with 12.0 steals/game. The Hawks also pace the league in rebounding margin (+7.6), keyed by the output of Weaver and Preston.
• Shepherd took a brief lead at 25-24 in the second quarter before the Hawks countered with a 10-4 run to close the half and go ahead for good at 34-29. IUP later widened its advantage to double figures in the third while clamping down the Rams in the second half.
• IUP defeated Daemen in the only meeting between the two schools, posting an 80-54 win nearly 23 years ago on January 5, 2000 against the Wildcats at the memorial Field House.

 
DAEMEN AT A GLANCE

• Winners of five straight, Daemen took down No. 5/11 Ferris State last time out by a 61-56 tally. Alahna Paige poured in a game-high 26 points, her third consecutive game with 20 or more, while Claire Pikett added 10 points.
• The Wildcats have won back-to-back East Coast Conference tournament championships, defeating St. Thoams Aquinas last season to claim the conference title.
• The Wildcats are also a strong defensive team, leading the ECC and ranking 37th nationally in scoring defense (58.2).
• Paige leads the team in assists and is fifth in the nation in scoring (20.6), ranking third in DII in three-point field goal percentage (.507) and third in three-point field goals (38). In the rebounding department, Cecilia Lapertosa averaged 6.7 boards across 11 games off the bench.

 
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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 148-26 (.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)
  • 31 of their last 39 (31-8)
  • 47 of their last 57 (47-10)
  • 60 of their last 72 (60-12) 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 3.3 assists/game (7th in the PSAC) and a team-high 33 assists. She boasts 795 career points on 40.1% 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 10 games for the Crimson Hawks.
• Henderson ranks fifth in the league in scoring (16.7), sixth in minutes (35:07), second in steals (2.9). She and Preston are tied for the team lead in overall steals (29).
• She's played all 40 minutes three this season and has found her touch from beyond the arc, converting at a 56.4% (22-39) clip from beyond the arc over the last five 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 +7.5, 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 (2nd; 9.2) and Preston (8th; 8.1) are each among the top eight 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 100 games since 2018-19, boasting 569 points and 513 rebounds in her career. Preston has nine career double-doubles (two in 2023-24) and is second on the team in steals (29).
• Weaver has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in five of the last six outings outings for IUP, providing a key option off the bench for the Hawks while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.
• Centrulla (Career: 84 GP, 978 Pts, 544 Rebs, 95 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 93 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 104 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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