Boxscore and play-by-play

IUP forced 14 second half turnovers, scoring 17 points off Edinboro miscues during the period, and had a total of 56 points after intermission as the Crimson Hawks rallied for an 85-81 win over the host Fighting Scots in a PSAC West game on Saturday.

Jahzinga Tracey, plagued by first half foul trouble, exploded for 23 of her game-high 25 points during the final 20 minutes to lead IUP to its ninth straight win, the second time this season the Crimson Hawks have a victory streak of that length.

Tracey also made three steals and blocked three shots.  She played only eight minutes in the first half after picking up two quick fouls.  IUP did lose Kierstin Filla to an ankle injury in the first half and she did not return after intermission.

The Crimson Hawks, ranked fifth in the nation, are off to the best start in school history at 18-1 and are 3-0 in the PSAC West for the first time since 1999-00.  That team was 17-2 through the first 19 games for the previous best start through that number of contests.

Staci Heberling added 17 points, including 12 in the second half, and Kylie Miller finished with 14 for IUP with both players tying for the team lead with eight rebounds.  Miller also had four assists and three steals while Lacey Claar scored 11 points and dished out five assists in a starting role.

Samantha Reimer led Edinboro (11-6, 1-2) with 23 points and six assists.  Kelsey Conklin scored 14 to go along with 10 rebounds and Rae Sherred also had a double double with 12 points and 16 boards.  Rachel Johnson finished with 11 points.

Edinboro took advantage of Tracey's absence to score 10 straight points late in the first half to wipe out a six-point deficit and take a 31-29 lead into the locker room.  The second half was tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than five until the closing minutes.

The Fighting Scots took their final lead of the game at 58-57 with 7:49 remaining on a layup by Johnson.  A jumper by Tracey and free throws by Edinboro's Brittany Csatlos created the 12th and final tie of the game at the 6:20 mark.

IUP then took the lead for good 25 seconds later on a Miller putback off a miss by Heberling, a basket that triggered a 15-4 run that apparently put the Crimson Hawks in control of the game.  A 3-point play by Tracey with 3:32 left and jumper by Heberling with 2:50 to go gave IUP a 74-63 lead.

Tracey scored seven points during the big Crimson Hawk run.

Edinboro would not go down without a fight, scoring 14 of the next 20 points and getting to within 80-77 on a jumper by Casey Heller with 51 seconds remaining.  Leading by four, Tracey came up with a huge block of a 3-point attempt by Reimer, and Heberling followed with two free throws with 37 seconds left to make it a six-point cushion.

The Fighting Scots got to within four points at 83-79 but Lacey Claar made two free throws for IUP to keep Edinboro at arms length. 

IUP returns home to face Shippensburg on Wednesday at 5:30.

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