ASHLAND, Ohio – The IUP women's basketball team saw their undefeated streak come to an end Thursday evening, falling 68-54 to No. 21 Ashland after a slow start in the first quarter and struggles in the fourth.
IUP struggled tonight as they shot .364 from the field, .083 beyond the arc, and committed 27 personal fouls. Despite outmatching Ashland in steals, 10-6, the Hawks couldn't convert those opportunities into points. IUP allowed 21 points from the free-throw line, with 15 coming in the fourth quarter alone. IUP managed just eight points in the first quarter, matched Ashland with 16 in the second, outscored them in the third, but dropped in the fourth.
Shamia Strayhorn led IUP with 16 points, including eight from the free throw line, along with two rebounds and two steals.
Nyshae' Weaver contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and a steal, while
Lily Jordan added eight points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Ashland opened the game on a 9-0 run after forcing three IUP turnovers and several missed shots from the Hawks. Jordan put the Hawks on the board with a layup at the 6:41 mark. She added another layup, assisted by Weaver, at 2:52. Scott found an opening and scored on a layup with 1:26 remaining. Jordan followed with a jumper, cutting the deficit to 14-8 with 56 seconds left. The first quarter ended with IUP trailing 17-8, with Jordan leading the Hawks, shooting 3-for-4 from the field.
At 9:24 in the second quarter, IUP committed a foul, resulting in their fifth turnover of the game. Ashland followed with a turnover at 8:43, also their fifth of the night.
Miller made her first basket of the night. Following an IUP timeout, Scott quickly added a score, and Strayhorn secured a steal and finished the play, cutting the deficit to single digits. At the 5:34 mark, Strayhorn sank both free throws, bringing the score to 24-18. She then found Centrulla in the left corner, who hit IUP's first three-pointer of the night.
Strayhorn and Centrulla added free throws to reduce the gap to four points. However, Ashland closed the half strong with a layup and a deep three-pointer, extending their lead to 33-24.
Weaver opened the scoring for the Hawks in the third quarter with a jumper, followed by Wilkerson scoring on IUP's next possession at 8:21. Wilkerson recorded the Hawks' first block of the game at 6:43.
The teams exchanged points, with Weaver adding five and Strayhorn and Jordan contributing a basket each. Marin came up with a steal and a driving layup, the Eagles staying ahead 45-37. Both teams traded free throws to close the quarter, with IUP trailing 47-41.
Weaver added two free throws in the start of the fourth quarter and then Strayhorn answered with a jumper that cut the trail to just three points. Ashland responded with a layup and Wilkerson made a layup, cutting the trail back to three points. The Eagles jumped ahead with 14 more made free throw attempts after IUP committed 11 personal fouls in the fourth.
Up Next
IUP closes 2024 with one last matchup at Millersville on Saturday, December 21 with tipoff set for 1:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
