Boxscore and play-by-play
IUP captured the second
PSAC women's basketball title in school history with a 63-53 victory over
California in the championship game Saturday night at Millersville's Pucillo
Gym.
With the win, IUP earns an
automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East Region women's basketball
tournament, which will likely be held in Glenville, W.Va., beginning Friday.
The announcement of the host site and the eight participating teams will be
made late Sunday night.
IUP last won the PSAC
championship in 1988 and was making its first appearance in the final since
losing to Shippensburg in 1999. The Crimson Hawks will be in the NCAA
tournament for the fourth time in school history and first since qualifying
in both 1999 and 2000.
IUP won the region
championship and played in the Elite Eight in 1999.
PSAC tournament MVP
Jahzinga Tracey scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out four
assists and made four steals to help IUP (22-8) wipe out a 30-24 halftime
deficit. Tracey had 42 points, 18 rebounds and eight steals in two
Final Four games.
IUP won all three of its
PSAC tournament games by double digits. The Crimson Hawks outscored
Edinboro, 59-35, in the second half in an 81-58 quarterfinal win on Tuesday.
In Friday's semifinal contest, IUP posted a 71-53 victory over host
Millersville.
Staci Heberling had 16
points, just three shy of her season high, and pulled down eight boards.
Lauren Fisher and Kierstin Filla both had three assists, and Fisher and
Heberling both made two steals.
Lindsay Johnson led
California with 14 points. Kim Nowakowski had 11 points and 20
rebounds. The Vulcans are 21-9 on the year and should receive an
at-large bid to the NCAA tournament tomorrow night. California was
aiming for its fourth PSAC title in the past six seasons.
IUP forced 20 turnovers,
including 10 on steals, and held the Vulcans to 31.1 percent shooting from
the field. The Crimson Hawks committed only 14 turnovers and just four
in the second half to offset an 0 for 14 showing from 3-point range.
Trailing by six at
halftime, IUP upped its defensive intensity after intermission, forcing the
Vulcans into 14 miscues over the final 20 minutes. The Crimson Hawks
regained the lead at 34-32 on a jumper by Filla at the 15:05 mark.
Heberling sparked the IUP
comeback at the outset of the second half with eight points over the opening
6:27, and her two free throws with 13:33 remaining staked the Crimson Hawks
to a 38-35 lead.
Neither team was able to
gain firm control, and California forged the seventh tie of the game when a
layup by Keris Timol evened the contest at 43 with 7:57 remaining. But
the Vulcans missed their next four shots and committed four turnovers as IUP
surged in front.
The Crimson Hawks scored
eight consecutive points, taking the lead for good at 45-43 on a jumper by
Tracey with 6:58 left in the game. Tracey added two more baskets in
the run, with the last one giving IUP a 51-43 edge with 4:28 left.
A 3-pointer by Bre Dillon
temporarily halted the IUP uprising, but a basket by Heberling and two free
throws by Filla upped the lead to 55-46 with 2:05 to play. The Vulcans
got no closer than seven the rest of the way.
The first half was a game
of runs that ended with California in front by a score of 30-24. IUP
jumped out to a 16-4 lead and was ahead 20-9 after a layup by Tracey with
7:19 left before halftime.
The Vulcans responded by
scoring 21 of the final 25 points of the period, including the last six, and
took its six-point halftime lead on two free throws by Johnson with 29
seconds remaining before the break.
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