INDIANA, Pa. (Feb. 17) – In a meeting of regionally- and nationally-ranked programs, the No. 21 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team suffered a 79-49 loss at No. 11 IUP on Saturday evening in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 21-5 this season behind a 16-4 mark in league play. Cal U, which was sixth in the initial NCAA Atlantic regional rankings, now sits 2.0-games back behind both Edinboro and IUP in the PSAC West standings with two games left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks, which were second in the NCAA Atlantic regional rankings, improve to 23-2 overall with an 18-2 record in conference action. IUP will next host Edinboro on Wednesday, Feb. 21, in a pivotal divisional and regional contest.
Sophomore
DJ Hahn (Warren, Pa./Warren) led the team with 16 points behind three-of-five from beyond the arc while playing a team-high 35 minutes. She also tied for the team lead with four rebounds on Wednesday. Hahn has scored 13.3 points over the last four games after tallying just 12 combined points over the previous three games.
Senior
Shatara Parsons (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals while battling foul trouble. Junior
Mia Cushon (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) added 12 points behind six-of-eight from the free-throw line and collected three rebounds and two assists in the loss.
Cal U scored a basket on the opening possession of the game before IUP countered with an 8-2 run to take 8-4 lead with 5:21 left in the first quarter. The Vulcans worked the deficit down to 12-11 at the 2:15-mark before the Crimson Hawks took a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. IUP stretched the lead to double-digits, 32-21, midway through the second quarter after scoring eight points in under 75 seconds, including two three-pointers. Following a free-throw by the Vulcans at the 4:55-mark, the Crimson Hawks scored seven-straight points to extend the lead to 17 points, 39-22, with 35 seconds left. Cal U made a free-throw in the closing seconds to enter the break trailing 39-23. The Vulcans were held without a field goal for the last six-plus minutes of the second quarter, as the Crimson Hawks mounted a 12-2 run during that span.
The Crimson Hawks stretched their lead to 23 points, 50-27, with 6:36 left in the third quarter before the Vulcans scored four-straight points. Parsons was then whistled for her fourth foul at 4:23-mark and IUP mounted a 7-2 run to take a 57-33 lead with 31 seconds left in the quarter. Cal U made a free-throw in the final seconds to trail 57-34 at the end of third quarter. The Crimson Hawks mounted a 9-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to take a 66-36 lead at the 7:21-mark. Cal U eventually worked the deficit down to 69-42 before IUP led by as many as 35 points, 79-44, with 2:33 left to play.
The Vulcans were limited to a .316 field-goal percentage (18-of-57) and converted 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks made 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the floor and shot 90.5 percent (19-of-21) from the charity stripe. IUP held a sizeable 43-26 rebounding advantage and scored 36 points in the paint. The Vulcans were only able to score four points off turnovers in the loss.
Senior Megan Smith led all players with 23 points behind 7-of-15 from the floor and seven-of-seven from the free-throw line. Junior Carolyn Appleby tallied 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists, while classmate Brittany Robinson posted 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Cal U returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Seton Hill, which was eighth in the initial NCAA regional rankings, in the Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m.
