WILMINGTON, Del. – The IUP women’s basketball team led by as many as 26 points in the second half, controlling the game in a 95-76 win at Goldey-Beacom as part of a well-balanced effort on Saturday.
 
IUP (3-1) went cold down the stretch last time out at Fairmont State but racked up 75 points through three quarters in a bounce back effort, going into an early-season break from games on a high note. The Hawks took control early and did not look back, holding the lead for nearly 39 minutes of the contest while getting contributions from throughout the lineup.
 
Kiera Baughman started the game strong, delivering a high level of consistency with 22 points (9-12 FG), adding three assists and two steals. Grace Centrulla also provided IUP with a sharpshooting outside threat, posting 15 points (3-6 3FG). The Hawks went 52.9% from the floor, starting with strong outside shooting before working the ball underneath in a well-rounded performance.
 
Maria Cerro dealt out a game-high seven assists with Teirra Preston adding four more assists, part of a double-double effort with 14 points and 14 rebounds. IUP shared the ball extremely well Saturday, assisting on 58% of the team’s made field goals.Rahmena Henderson posted 18 points and five rebounds, matching Janeira Scott with a team-high three steals. 
 
GBC stumbles to 0-4 at the onset of the 2023-24 season, led by a game-high 25 points for Katie Yoder. The Lighting used a 13-0 run late in the third and into the fourth quarter, but still could not whittle its second half deficit under double digits.
 
Making its longest road trip of the 2023-24 regular season slate, IUP found its shooting touch early and often, leading for over 15 minutes of the opening half. Converting at a torrid 55.3% clip from the floor and nearly 45% from distance in the opening half, IUP placed three scorers in double figures and led 53-36 at the intermission.  
 
Baughman was on point early from beyond the arc, hitting each of the Hawks’ initial two three-point baskets for an early 6-4 lead before Centrulla pushed the advantage to 10-7 with a trey ball. It was all part of a back and forth start for both teams with sluggish shooting and combined seven turnovers over the opening seven minutes.
 
A steal and fastbreak score pushed IUP ahead slightly at 14-11 before Elena Benito widened the margin with her second conversion from beyond the arc this season, lifting the Hawks ahead 19-13 and prompting a Goldey-Beacom timeout. GBC got back within three before the visiting Hawks rounded out the scoring in the first quarter with a Nyshae’ Weaver layup for a 21-16 advantage after 10 minutes.
 
Beginning to find a groove in transition offensively, Preston recorded her first bucket of the evening on a runout feed from Baughman. Baughman had logged a combined 20 points and seven assists over the opening three games of the season with the Hawks utilizing other scoring options. She commanded the IUP offense expertly on Saturday, combining a strong scoring prowess with heads-up decision making throughout the night to the tune of a 22-point stat line.
 
Preston pulled down three rebounds in the opening frame as IUP led 23-17. Baughman continued facilitating the IUP offense with her third assist of the night while the Hawks clamped down on defense, surging ahead by double digits at 31-20 in the second.
 
Centrulla was the first Crimson Hawk to reach double figures in the contest, posting baskets on consecutive trips up the floor, including her second triple of the game for a 36-24 lead at the 5:33 mark of the second quarter. Benito swelled the IUP lead to 15 points, its largest of the half at the time, with a three from the left corner for a 39-24 advantage. The IUP lead continued to hover around 15 points as time ticked away in the first half despite GBC finding some efficiency on the offensive end for a time.
 
Centrulla dropped in her third triple of the game, part of an efficient 5-for-7 effort from the floor in the first half, to lift IUP ahead by 19 points at 53-34. Part of an all-around effort throughout the lineup, Preston made the kickout feed for her third assist of the half.
 
Baughman continued her strong performance with a three, part of a perfect shooting day through midway in the third quarter, for a resounding 62-40 IUP lead. The Hawks stayed in the driver’s seat with a lead near 20 points with consecutive runout baskets ballooning the advantage to 26 at 73-49.
 
GBC closed the third quarter with seven consecutive points over the final 1:30 of the third, part of a larger 13-0 surge for the Lighting until the early stages of the fourth quarter. Cerro finished through contact, converting the old fashioned three-point play to halt the Goldey-Beacom momentum for a 78-62 IUP edge.
 
IUP sealed an already decided game with a 10-2 fourth quarter run that spanned around four minutes and kept the visitors in front as time melted away.
 
Up Next
IUP is idle until the beginning of PSAC crossover play, visiting Shippensburg on Friday, December 1 at 3:00 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women’s basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.