From IUP Sports Information
Senior forward Lexi Griggs scored 17 points and the Crimson Hawks shot 57 percent from the floor but they couldn’t overcome 23 turnovers as ninth-ranked IUP women’s basketball lost to 22nd-ranked Glenville State 86-79 at the Kovalchick Complex Friday night.
The Crimson Hawks outshot Glenville State and had a plus-6 differential on the glass, but the Lady Pioneers turned those 23 IUP turnovers into 29 points and made 24-of-26 from the foul line to get the road win.
It was the first non-conference loss for the Crimson Hawks in three years as they had won 12 straight dating back to November 2016. It was the first home regular season loss to a non-conference opponent since 2010 (West Liberty), breaking a streak of 22 straight wins.
Glenville State was also the only top-25 non-conference opponent during that stretch.
It was the first loss of the season for the Crimson Hawks, who fell to 2-1 on the year. Glenville State improved to 2-1 with the victory.
Griggs went 8-of-12 from the field to go along with six rebounds and two steals.
Sophomore guard Mikayla Lovelace saw extended playing time off the bench, hitting a career-high 17 points in 24 minutes. Junior guard Justina Mascaro scored 14 points and senior guard Natalie Myers added 10.
The Crimson Hawks shot nearly 70 percent in the first quarter with Mascaro scoring eight points to grab a 25-21 lead after 10 minutes.
Glenville State then forced IUP into nine turnovers in the second quarter and took advantage of eight personal fouls by the Crimson Hawks to take a 40-37 lead into halftime.
The Lady Pioneers opened it up in the third quarter, outscoring IUP by 10 to take a 13-point lead into the final quarter.
IUP found momentum in the fourth, bringing its deficit under double-figures three times over the final 10 minutes. But Glenville answered with 3-pointers each time to keep the Crimson Hawks from getting too close.
IUP made 8-of-12 from the field in the final quarter and forced Glenville into a 5-of-15 performance, but each of those made buckets were 3-pointers as the Lady Pioneers went 10-of-22 from beyond the arc for the game.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are off until next weekend when they open conference play against a pair of PSAC East teams in Bloomsburg (0-1) and East Stroudsburg (2-1). Both games will tipoff at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at the Kovalchick Complex.
