EDINBORO, Pa. – The IUP women's basketball team battled back throughout the second half and
Rahmena Henderson converted the go-ahead basket with .1 seconds remaining for a 55-53 road win on Saturday at Edinboro.
IUP (18-5, 14-4) trailed by as many as 15 in the game, but held Edinboro to just 20 points in the second half. With .1 seconds left, Edinboro converted one final tip-in play at the rim just after the final buzzer sounded.
Nyshae' Weaver had a double-double secured early in the third quarter as IUP worked its deficit back within one possession. She finished with 10 points and 18 rebounds in 31 minutes. It was all part of a 17-4 run for IUP, flipping the momentum and taking its first lead early in the fourth.
A back and forth second half, IUP led for just 3:47 in the game after playing catch-up most of the afternoon. Henderson matched a game-high 17 points for IUP, adding three rebounds and three steals in 39 minutes.
Maria Cerro finished with 15 points and three steals.
IUP created some slight separation in second place, putting the team in a good position to clinch a playoff berth. The Hawks can clinch a spot in the conference tournament with a win on Wednesday against Seton Hill.
Grace Centrulla posted four points, four rebounds and two blocks, including one rejection late with under one minute remaining. Hayley Sims paced Edinboro with 17 points and eight rebounds. Ashten Boggs just missed out on a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
IUP collected nine steals and converted multiple transition layups off those turnovers in a back and forth matchup. A tightly contested game, the contest came down to the wire much like the first meeting at the KCAC. The Crimson Hawks had different players provide spurts of energy on both ends of the floor in a resilient effort.
IUP found itself digging out of an early hole throughout the first half. Edinboro outscored IUP by a 23-10 margin in the first quarter, beginning the game with an 11-3 surge. The Crimson Hawks settled in during the second quarter, trimming the deficit back to single digits heading into the intermission.
The Fighting Scots rode their fast start to a lead throughout the opening half, up by as many as 15 in the stanza. A driving score from Cero made it a 29-20 margin before a stickback from Weaver rounded out the scoring at 33-24. Edinboro shot the ball efficiently early on, finishing at a 42.9% clip for the half.
Weaver was close to a double-double in the first half with 10 points and seven rebounds, pacing the Hawks. IUP had just one three-point basket in the first half and struggled past some disjointed play at times, keeping the deficit manageable.
The Crimson Hawks put together a great third quarter, outscoring Edinboro 15-9 in the frame. Cerro again sliced the deficit back to nine for IUP with a jumper, bringing the score within 36-27. The Crimson Hawks continued to slowly chip away at the deficit, getting some key defensive rebounds and converting some end-to-end steals into baskets.
IUP eventually got back within one point with a 10-2 scoring run late in the third quarter. Cerro accounted for five points in the blitz for the Hawks, which included a basket through contact.
The momentum carried over for IUP at the start of the fourth, stretching the run to 17-4 over six minutes. Henderson worked the score tied with a triple before Cerro stole the ball on the ensuing possession and scored for the Hawks' first lead of the game at 44-42.
Both sides went cold from the floor with the score knotted at 44 and 46 for several minutes. Going back and forth with time ticking down under three minutes left, the Hawks took control with a pair of slick transition baskets. On the other end of the floor, Morgan Gentile converted through contact on Baughman's fifth foul with 1:37 left.
Henderson notched the final basket of the night with her driving basket late, coming off a handoff near the three-point line from Weaver.
Up Next
IUP hosts Seton Hill on Wednesday, February 21 for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the KCAC.
A victory against the Griffins secures a playoff spot for IUP.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
