The IUP women’s basketball team won’t play a 2020-21 season, but the Crimson Hawks are ranked No. 4 in the 2020-21 D2SIDA preseason media top 25 nonetheless.
The 2020-21 season was cancelled last month due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but IUP landed at No. 4 anyway, its best preseason position in program history. The team was ranked No. 5 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) prior to the 2018-19 season.
Here is more from IUP Sports Information.
The Crimson Hawks are in the midst of its greatest stretch in the history of the program, with 88 victories, a .907 win percentage, three regular season division titles, two regional championships, and two berths in the national semifinals over the last three seasons. IUP was primed for another deep run before last year was canceled, entering the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region.
IUP won the PSAC West regular season title in 2019-20 and finished as runners up to the conference tournament title. The Hawks went 28-3, boasted a program-record 19-game win streak, and ended the year as the No. 8-ranked team in the WBCA poll.
The current roster returns four players who started games last season, including leading scorer Justina Mascaro at guard. Mascaro averaged 14.2 points, shot 52.8 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from long range in her first season after transferring from Delaware. She was a first team All-PSAC West selection and was a three-time conference player of the week. Mascaro also tied for the team-lead with 71 assists, averaged 3.9 rebounds, and blocked 31 shots.
Others with starting experience from last year include guards Courtney Alexander and Maria Cerro and post Maura D’Anna. A group of juniors also return in Alana Cardona, Rajah Fink, Mikayla Lovelace and Teirra Preston, who have seen extensive playing time off the bench over the last two seasons.
PSAC cancels winter sports season
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Board of Directors canceled mandated regular season and championship competition for winter sports on November 18.
The IUP Athletic Department is still leaving open the possibility of some type of competition for its basketball programs – as well as its canceled fall sports – during the spring semester.
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