No. 21 IUP Pulls Away in Second Half Against Women's Basketball
Erie, Pa.—The Mercyhurst Women's Basketball team put together a strong first half but could not continue into the second as Indiana (Pa.) pulled ahead to win 68-51 Monday evening on Owen McCormick Court.
How it Happened
The Lakers struck first with a layup from Emily Shopene, and the two teams exchanged leads as Mercyhurst saw points from six different players over the first 10 minutes.
A last-second three-pointer from Justina Mascaro put IUP up 17-16 heading to the second quarter.
The second quarter resembled the first, with the teams all but splitting the time in the lead. At the end of the half, Indiana had only been able to grow their lead to two points, 27-25.
The Crimson Hawks opened the second half with seven straight points, prompting a timeout from Mercyhurst Head Coach Brooklyn Kohlheim. After IUP added another pair, the Lakers finally got on the board four minutes in with a free-throw from Shopene, but the margin was already at 10 points.
The Lakers would cut the lead down to five, but IUP led 49-42 heading to the final frame.
Mercyhurst seemed to find their groove at the beginning of the fourth quarter as Jayde Boyd scored an and-one after a made layup and Shopene nailed a three-pointer to bring the deficit to three points, but IUP immediately ran the lead back up to 12 points.
The Crimson Hawks made just six of their 13 free throws over the final two minutes as the Lakers turned to the foul game, but the damage had been done and Mercyhurst could not close the gap.
Leading the Way
The Crimson Hawks had the two leading scorers in Kiera Baughman and Mascaro with 16 points each. Baughman made it a double-double with 12 rebounds.
Shopene (15 points and nine rebounds) and Boyd (14 points) followed them to lead the Lakers.
Coach's Corner
Up Next
The Lakers will finish up their five-game homestand with a marquee matchup against Erie County rival No. 25 Gannon Wednesday, with tip-off scheduled for 5:38 p.m. The game will be featured locally on the CW network.
Due to anticipated high attendance for Wednesday's game, fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by clicking here. Fans who wish to purchase tickets via phone may do so by calling 814-824-2560, and fans are reminded that masks must be worn at all times.
