IUP Stuns Fifth-Ranked Charleston to Run its Own Winning Streak to Six Games

Boxscore and play-by-play

IUP overcame a nine-point deficit by holding Charleston to just six points over the final 9:45, giving the Indians a 54-49 win over the No. 5 ranked Golden Eagles Tuesday night at the Eddie King Gymnasium.

IUP extended its winning streak to six games while improving to 8-3 on the season.  Charleston suffered its first loss in 11 games.  IUP lost to the Golden Eagles, 63-52, at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Classic on November 25.

Three freshmen paced IUP in scoring, with Staci Heberling leading the way with 11 points, followed by Lizzie Suwala with 10 and Kylie Miller with nine.  Miller also had a team-high eight rebounds.

Miller and Lauren Fisher, who was inserted in the starting lineup, also starred defensively, helping IUP force 23 turnovers while making 11 steals.

Lisa Lee led Charleston with 14 points and nine rebounds. 

A layup by Rachel Pike gave Charleston a 43-34 lead with 9:45 left in the game before.  But IUP clamped down on the Golden Eagle offense from that point, forcing seven turnovers and holding Charleston to just 3 for 12 shooting the rest of the way.

Suwala got IUP back in the game with consecutive 3-pointers, including one with 8:12 remaining set up by a steal by Kara Taylor that brought the Indians within 43-40.  Two free throws by Mame Brumbaugh at the 7:26 mark made it a one-point game.

The teams traded baskets before a layup by Fisher gave IUP the lead for good at 46-45 with 5:31 left.  IUP led 50-47 after a layup by Heberling with 1:17 left, and Charleston missed an opportunity to tie the game when Emily Jones misfired on a 3 with 26 seconds to go.

IUP then put the game away at the free throw line, with Suwala making all four attempts in the final 16 seconds. 

The Indians raced to a 9-0 lead, including five points by Miller, in the opening 3:35 of the game.  Charleston battled back to lead by as many as three before halftime, and a jumper by Miller in the final minute produced a 25-25 tie at the break.

The game was tied at 27 and 29 in the opening minutes of the second half.  The Golden Eagles then appeared to take control with a 10-2 run that made it 39-31 with 13:13 left in the game.

A 3-pointer by Taylor got it to five.  Baskets by Lee and Pike pushed the Charleston advantage back up to nine before IUP began its tremendous comeback.

IUP returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover play this weekend with games at Mansfield on Saturday and East Stroudsburg on Sunday, both at 1:00.