GLENVILLE, W.Va. (March 18) – The fourth-seeded California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team struggled from the floor in the second half on Monday night while suffering a 68-60 loss to third-seeded IUP in the Atlantic Regional Championship at the Waco Center on the campus of Glenville State.

With the loss, the Vulcans finish the season with a 26-6 overall record after advancing to the Atlantic Regional Championship for the third time in the last five years. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improve to 29-3 this season and repeat as the Atlantic Region Champions. IUP advances to the Elite Eight next week in Columbus, Ohio, and the remaining field will be reseeded following all regional title games.

Redshirt senior Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) and senior Abbey Sporio (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) tied for the team lead with 19 points before both players fouled out. Barrett shot 7-of-15 from the field and five-of-five from the free-throw line while playing 36 minutes. She also tallied eight rebounds (four offensive) and two steals in the loss. Barrett finishes her career ranked fifth all-time in school history with 1,961 points and became only the fourth player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career rebounds on Monday.

Sporio made 7-of-17 from the floor and five-of-five from the charity stripe versus IUP while being limited to 26 minutes due to foul trouble. She closed her career ranked sixth in school history with 284 steals.

Sophomore Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) finished with seven points, two rebounds and two steals, while freshman Brionna Allen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) added six points, six rebounds (four offensive) and two assists off the bench.

IUP scored the initial two baskets of the game before Cal U later mounted a 6-2 run to tie the score at 9-9 at the 6:39-mark. The Crimson Hawks answered with a 9-2 rally to reclaim the lead at 18-11 with 3:03 left in the quarter. IUP later stretched the lead to 22-13 in the final minute before Sporio converted a pair of free-throws in the closing seconds to cut the deficit to 22-15 at the end of the quarter. Barrett and Sporio combined for all 15 points for the Vulcans, while the Crimson Hawks shot 10-of-16 from the floor.

The Crimson Hawks converted a three-point play on the opening possession of the second quarter before the Vulcans scored five-straight points to trim the deficit to 25-20 with 8:25 left before the break. Cal U later added six-consecutive points to make it a 28-26 contest with 4:40 left to play before IUP responded with four points. The Vulcans later cut the deficit to 32-31 on a three-point play by Barrett with 2:06 left before halftime. Cal U eventually entered the break trailing 36-33 behind 25 combined points from Barrett and Sporio.

In the opening minutes of the third quarter, IUP stretched the lead to 41-37 at the 7:00-mark before both teams were held scoreless for nearly 90 seconds. The Vulcans then snapped a four-plus minute drought with three-unanswered baskets to take a 43-41 lead on a layup by Allen with 4:09 left. IUP senior Carolyn Appleby, a three-time All-PSAC West selection, then scored six-straight points to give the Crimson Hawks a 47-45 lead at the end of the quarter.

IUP built upon the momentum at the start of the fourth quarter by mounting a 10-2 run to build a 57-47 lead with 5:49 remaining. Sporio fouled out on the ensuing offensive possession before the Vulcans made three-straight shots to trim the deficit to 57-53 with 4:13 left to play. The Crimson Hawks then held the Vulcans scoreless for over two minutes and stretched the lead to double-digits, 63-53, at the 2:12-mark. Cal U then collected four offensive rebounds on a single possession, but were unable to answer with points until a layup by Barrett with 1:40 remaining. However, the Vulcans would be unable to get any closer in the closing minutes with Barrett fouling out with 55 seconds left.

The Vulcans finished the game shooting 37.5 percent (24-of-64) from the floor after making just 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) in the second half. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks shot at a .491 clip (27-of-55) from the floor, including 57.1 percent (8-of-14) in the fourth quarter. Cal U out-rebounded IUP by a 39-34 margin behind 15 offensive rebounds (all in the second half) and both teams scored 38 points from the paint. The Vulcans scored 14 fastbreak points after forcing 17 turnovers in the contest.

Appleby scored a game-high 24 points (20 second half) on 10-of-21 shooting. Classmate Brittany Robinson, the Atlantic Regional Tournament MVP, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while junior Lexi Griggs posted 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.

Cal U was making its ninth all-time appearance in the regional championship, all since 2002. The Vulcans have advanced to the regional finals four times under eight-year head coach Jess Strom.