INDIANA, Pa. (Feb. 4) – Behind nearly 40 points from seniors
Kaitlynn Fratz (Accident, Md./Northern Garrett) and
Irina Kukolj (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), the Vulcans earned a 76-45 win over No. 5 IUP at the Kovalchick Complex and Athletic Center on Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 18-3 overall after winning seven of its last eight games. The Vulcans also now stand in first place in the divisional standings with a 15-2 mark in PSAC play. Meanwhile, IUP falls to 18-2 this season behind a 14-2 record in league action – with both losses coming to Cal U.
Fratz scored a game-high 21 points after making 8-of-16 from the floor, including five-of-seven from beyond the arc. She also registered a season-high seven assists and added four rebounds and three steals in the victory. Fratz has totaled five 20-point games this year, including three times in the last four games.
Kukolj tied her season high with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and also tallied six rebounds and two assists on Wednesday. Freshman forward
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) posted 13 points, six rebounds and four steals off the bench, while sophomore guard
Miki Glenn (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) finished with 11 points, three rebounds and four assists. Senior
Emma Mahady (Albury, Australia/Xavier) added eight points while shooting just 3-of-17 from the floor and led the team with 10 rebounds.
The Vulcans mounted a 10-2 run in the opening minutes of the game to take a 14-6 lead on a layup by Barrett with 11:33 left in the first half. Following three free-throws by IUP, Cal U scored 14-unanswered points to stretch its lead to 28-9 on a layup by Kukolj at the 5:49-mark. During the rally, the Crimson Hawks committed six turnovers and only attempted two shots in a span of 4 minutes, 35 seconds. Cal U eventually took a 33-17 lead at halftime after being held scoreless for the last 3:39 of the first half.
IUP started the second half on a 10-5 rally to trim the deficit to 38-27 with 15:46 left to play. The Vulcans countered with a 14-5 run over five-plus minutes to take a 52-32 lead on a layup by Barrett with 10:24 remaining. The teams traded points for the next five minutes before Cal U scored 14-straight points to take a 76-43 lead on a layup by Barrett at the 1:47-mark. The Crimson Hawks eventually snapped a nearly five-minute scoreless drought on a layup with 37 seconds left.
The Vulcans shot over 55 percent in the second half before finishing the game making 44.1 percent (30-of-68) from the floor. Cal U made a season-high 11 three-pointers while attempting just nine free-throws in the contest. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks shot at a 35.3 clip (18-of-51) from the field and posted only 10 free-throw attempts. IUP held a 41-34 rebounding advantage and Cal U totaled 18 steals after forcing the Crimson Hawks into a season-high 28 turnovers.
Senior guard Amy Fairman was the lone IUP player to finish in double-digits, scoring 11 points. Classmate Lindsay Stamp was limited to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting after entering play as the league's leading scoring with 20.3 points per game.
Cal U returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 8, when it hosts Clarion at 1 p.m.
