INDIANA, Pa. – After officially locking up a conference tournament berth, the IUP women's basketball team is set for the final three games of the 2023-24 regular season, beginning on Saturday, February 24 at Slippery Rock. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
 
Live coverage will be provided on the PSAC Digital Network, courtesy of Slippery Rock. Additionally, the game will be aired live on U92.5FM and u92radio.com with the Voice of the Hawks, Jack Benedict.
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL  
IUP (19-5, 15-4 PSAC) at Slippery Rock (2-20, 2-17 PSAC)
Saturday, February 24, 2024 – 1:00 p.m. – Morrow Field House – Slippery Rock, Pa.    
Game Coverage: Live Video — Live Stats — Live Audio
Social Media Updates: @IUP_WBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
TIPOFF NEWS AND NOTES  

• IUP locked up its 18th straight PSAC Tournament berth and 26th overall in program history. Additionally, it marked the second consecutive PSAC Tournament berth in as many years for head coach Craig Carey.
• IUP was listed among the initial NCAA DII Atlantic Region poll release this week. The first listing arranged teams in alphabetical order, while next week's poll will include the teams listed in numerical order for the first time.
• IUP can secure the number two seed in the PSAC West with a win against Slippery Rock and a California (Pa.) loss to Mercyhurst. The top two seeds in the PSAC West get a first round bye into the quarterfinal round.
• The Crimson Hawks pulled away over the second and third quarters during a resounding 87-65 victory against Seton Hill last time out on February 21 at the KCAC.
• Rahmena Henderson and Maria Cerro posted 20 points each in the victory, with Henderson adding eight rebounds and five steals in an all-around showing.
• IUP and California (Pa.) both enter the weekend with four-game winning streaks ahead of Wednesday's matchup.
• The Hawks shot 54.8% from the floor and 60% from beyond the arc in the victory against the Griffins. Defensively, IUP forced 20 SHU turnovers and swiped 14 steals.
• IUP has posted regular season sweeps of Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill so far this season. The Hawks have also won the first meeting against each of its final three regular season opponents (Slippery Rock, California, Clarion).
• IUP is 93-26 (.781) in PSAC games since the 2017-18 season.
• Kiera Baughman moved into the top 15 in program history in made three-point field goals (113) with three treys against Seton Hill.
• Former IUP assistant coach Ryenn Micaletti has taken over as the head coach at Slippery Rock for her first season in 2023-24.
• Nyshae' Weaver continues to lead the PSAC in rebounding (9.6), starting each of the last five games for the Hawks after beginning the season as a key reserve. Since entering the starting lineup, filling the void of Teirra Preston, Weaver is averaging 32.2 minutes/game.
• Weaver is second in program history in single-season field goal percentage (min. 125 attempts), converting at a 59.3% clip from the floor in 2023-24.
• Last season, Slippery Rock snapped a 29-game losing streak to IUP with a 52-48 victory at Morrow Field House.
• Henderson poured in a game-high 19 points, going 8-for-9 from the floor in an efficient 21 minutes and Weaver had another double-double in IUP's 85-39 victory against Slippery Rock on January 27 at the KCAC.

 
SLIPPERY ROCK AT A GLANCE

• A rebuilding program, Slippery Rock has dropped eight straight games going into the weekend. Included in that stretch is an 82-64 road loss at Clarion, the first win of the 2023-24 season for the Golden Eagles (1-26).
• Kristina Donza led Slippery Rock on offense with 17 points while Regan Atkins put together her second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Clarion.
• SRU is 17th of 18 PSAC schools in scoring offense, averaging just over 51 points/game. Defensively, Slippery Rock surrenders 71.0 points/game.

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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 155-27 (.850) 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)
  • 38 of their last 47 (38-9)
  • 54 of their last 65 (54-11)
  • 67 of their last 80 (67-13) since 2018-19

 
COACHING TIES FOR CRAIG CAREY

• Head coach Craig Carey (37-15 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 earlier in the year.
• IUP is now fifth in the league in scoring defense (57.1), good for 29th nationally. Additionally, IUP is forcing opponents into an average of 18.8 turnovers per game, good for third in the league. IUP is first in the PSAC in steals/game (10.4).
• The Crimson Hawks have held five opponents to 50 points or less in 2023-24.

 
HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU?

• IUP is third in the conference in assists/game, handing out an average of 14.4 per contest. 
• Maria Cerro is 8th in the league with 3.0 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 four contests this season.

 
A TEAM EFFORT IN THE REBOUNDING DEPARTMENT

• IUP is sixth in the PSAC and 61st nationally with a +4.4 rebounding margin.
• The Hawks are seventh in the PSAC in offensive rebounding (12.0) and sixth in the league in defensive rebounding (26.4).
• IUP has outrebounded its opponents in 15 of 24 games this season, including a double-figure edge in rebounds six 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 2.7 assists/game (61 assists). She boasts 950 career points on 38.9% 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 20 games for the Crimson Hawks. Her streak was snapped against Gannon on February 10.
• Henderson ranks sixth in the league in scoring (15.9), third in minutes (36.2), second in steals (2.5). She leads the team with 62 total steals.  
• She's played all 40 minutes 10 times this season.

 
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 +4.4, while that production has dipped slightly. The interior duo Grace Centrulla and Nyshae' Weaver both enter the week averaging at least 7.6 points/game.
• The Crimson Hawks are missing veteran forward Teirra Preston (injury), who left the game in the second half at Clarion on January 31. IUP has a tall task in replacing Preston's production, who's played in a team-high 109 games since 2018-19, boasting 647 points and 586 rebounds in her career.
• Weaver leads the PSAC in rebounds/game (9.4), making her first start at IUP at Mercyhurst in February. A key contributor that has stepped into the starting lineup, Weaver boasts seven double-doubles this season and 10+ rebounds in 11 contests.
• Centrulla (Career: 98 GP, 1,074 Pts, 640 Rebs, 116 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 and is continuing to provide an all-around level of consistency.

 
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 107 career appearances and 80 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 18 points (6-8 FG) at UPJ on January 17 and a season-high 20 points against Seton Hill on February 21.
• Cerro ranked fifth in the PSAC in steals (61) as a junior in 2022-23, boasting 123 steals in her collegiate career. Averaging 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. 599 – Megan Smith (2014-18)
17. 586 – Teirra Preston (2018-Pres)
18. 579 – Adriene Douglas (1981-84)
19. 569 – Lisetta Boccella (1982-86)
20. 567 – Jacqui Martin (2000-04)
 
Career Three-Pointers Made
15. 113 – Amy Fairman (2011-15); 113 – Kiera Baughman (2021-Pres)  
17. 111 – Kylie Miller (2005-09)
18. 101 – Molly Carr (1995-99)
19. 86 – Lisa Bendick (1991-95)
20. 84 – Kiley Nadwodny (1992-96)
 
Field Goal Percentage – Season (Min. 125 Attempts)
1. 60.5 (89-147) – Karen Robatin (1991-23)
2. 59.3 (99-167) – Nyshae' Weaver (2023-24)
3. 59.0 (111-188) – Beth McDonald (2000-01)
4. 57.5 (164-285) – Lexi Griggs (2018-19)
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T9. 56.0 (84-150) – Teirra Preston (2023-24)
 
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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