CHAMPIONSHIP
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Courtesy of IUP Athletic Communications***
PITTSBURGH – A historic season for Indiana (Pa.) women's basketball came up one game short of the program's first team national championship, as the Crimson Hawks fell to Grand Valley State Lakers, 72-49, on Saturday.
Senior Nyshae Weaver and junior Teresa Maggio were named to the all-tournament team. Maggio led IUP with 20 points, while Weaver finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Grand Valley State jumped out to a 10-2 lead and maintained control throughout. IUP cut the deficit to single digits in the first quarter, but the Lakers' length and athleticism proved difficult to overcome.
IUP forced 19 turnovers but converted them into just 12 points. Grand Valley State, meanwhile, turned 13 IUP turnovers into 18 points.
The Crimson Hawks had strong support at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, with more than 1,900 fans in attendance, many making the trip from Indiana, Pa.
IUP finishes the season as national runner-up, marking the program's best finish in school history.
FINAL FOUR
***Courtesy of IUP Athletic Communications***
PITTSBURGH — Why not?
That was the message from IUP senior forward Nyshae' Weaver after the Crimson Hawks secured the program's first trip to a national championship game with a 75-70 win over Colorado Mesa in the NCAA Division II Final Four.
The third time proved to be the charm for IUP, which broke through in the national semifinals after falling short in its previous two Final Four appearances.
The Crimson Hawks set the tone early, racing out to a 12-0 lead before the first media timeout. Weaver scored seven of those points and finished with a team-high 21.
Despite picking up two early fouls, Weaver settled in and played 33 minutes, committing just one more foul the rest of the way while anchoring IUP on both ends of the floor.
Teresa Maggio added 17 points and two steals, delivering multiple momentum-shifting and-one plays. Senior Ellie Wilkerson provided a spark as well, scoring key baskets in the paint and knocking down a crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to help steady the Crimson Hawks.
IUP also received key contributions from several role players. Belle Bosch, who has battled illness throughout the postseason, finished with nine points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Marin Miller added three points, all in critical fourth-quarter moments, while committing just one turnover as the team's primary ballhandler.
Freshman Molly Keane played a pivotal role off the bench, logging important minutes after Weaver's early foul trouble and helping IUP maintain its lead.
For Colorado Mesa, Olivia Reed and Mason Rowland carried the offensive load, combining for 61 of the team's 70 points. They were the only Mavericks to score until the 3:49 mark of the third quarter.
With the win, IUP advances to the national championship game, which will be played Saturday at UPMC Cooper Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
ELITE EIGHT
No 2 IUP defeats No.7 Holy Family, 57-52 (OT)
The IUP Crimson Hawks are moving on to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Final Four after an overtime victory over Holy Family. IUP came back from a third quarter deficit to defeat the Tigers 57-52. Teresa Maggio lit up the floor scoring 20 points for the Crimson Hawks while contributing nine steals. PSAC West Athlete of the year Nyshae' Weaver finsihed with 14 points and tied for a team high of eight rebounds. Ellie Wilkerson and Marin Miller were also key contributers for the Crimson Hawks. Miller scored six points and had eight rebounds while Wilkerson scored nine and had seven rebounds.
IUP will face No. 3 Colorado-Mesa on Thursday, March 26 in the National Semifinals at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pa.
ATLANTIC REGION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
IUP defeats Winston-Salem State, 65-64
The IUP Crimson Hawks are moving on to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight after a thrilling 65-64 victory over Winston-Salem State. IUP, the No. 1 seed and host for the Atlantic Regional, trailed by two points with just seconds left in the game. Back-to-back steals on inbound passes denied Winston-Salem any attempts at free throws and IUP's Marin Miller eventually lined up and drained a three-pointer with just 5.8 seconds left to give the Crimson Hawks the lead for good.
Four IUP players finished in double figures for the game: Ellie WIlkerson led the way with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, Teresa Maggio added 15 points, Nyshae' Weaver tallied 13 points and seven rebounds, and Miller ended the game with 10 points.
The national quarterfinals through championship game will be held at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA from March 24 through March 28.
ATLANTIC REGION SEMIFINALS
IUP defeats Seton Hill, 94-87
The IUP Crimson Hawks will vie for the Atlatic Regional Title after defeating Seton Hill 94-87. Nyshae' Weaver and Teresa Maggio were dominate forces for IUP tonight. Weave finished with a team high of 25 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals, while Maggio contributed 20 points, two assists, and a block. Marin Miller and Ellie Wilkerson were also big scorers for the Crimson hawks with Miller scoring 15 and Wilkerson having 14 points and eight assists. IUP will face Winston Salem on Monday March 16.
Gannon falls to Winton-Salem, 67-48
***Courtesy of Gannon Athletic Communications***
The No. 7 Gannon women's basketball team saw its NCAA Tournament run come to an end Saturday evening, falling to Winston-Salem State, 67–48 in the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinal at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex.
Winston-Salem State jumped out to an early advantage and maintained control throughout the contest. The Rams built a 23–15 lead after the first quarter and extended the margin to 43–28 at halftime.
Gannon attempted to close the gap in the second half, but Winston-Salem State maintained control after building a 43–28 halftime lead. The Golden Knights were limited to 33.3 percent shooting (17-of-51) and finished 1-for-7 from three-point range on the night.
Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) led the Golden Knights with 20 points while adding five rebounds and three steals.
Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) finished with eight points, while
Lauren Kingsley (Pavilion, N.Y./Pavilion) contributed six points and four rebounds off the bench.
Mia Slater (Canberra, Australia/Canberra Grammar School) added two points and six rebounds, and
Taylor Ethridge (Chesapeake, Va./Catholic) chipped in four points and three rebounds.
Winston-Salem State was led by Maia Charles with 19 points and six rebounds, while Jakaiya Mack and Makayla Waleed each added 10 points.
The Golden Knights were making their 17th appearance in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament. Winston-Salem State earned its spot in the Atlantic Regional after capturing the first CIAA Tournament championship in program history.
FIRST ROUND RECAP
Gannon defeats Edinboro, 76-61
The Golden Knights move on to the next round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament after defeating Edinboro 76-61. Bri Claxon was on it today for Gannon scoring 21 points and contributing eight rebounds. Kate Ratiliff and Jordan Popyk were also key players for the Golden Knights. Ratliff finished with 15 points, four steals, and four assists, while Popyk had eight points, three steals, and eight rebounds. GU will face Winston-Salem tomorrow, March 14 at 5:00 p.m.
IUP defeats Charleston (W.Va.) 79-53
The IUP Crimson Hawks defeated Charleston 79-53 to keep their NCAA title hopes alive. PSAC West Athlete of the Year Nyshae' Weaver led IUP in points with 18 while also contributing two assists and two steals. Teresa Maggio was a powerhouse on her home court scoring 17 points and finishing with 10 rebounds. The Crimson Hawks will face Seton Hill tomorrow March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Seton Hill defeats Fayetteville St. 88-85 (2OT)
The Seton Hill Griffins keep their season alive after defeating Fayetteville St. 88-85 in double overtime. Hallie Cowan led SHU in points scoring 23. She also contributed three steals and five rebounds. PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year Mia Kalich filled the stat sheet tonight finishing with 22 rebounds, eight assists, seven steals, and 19 points. Seton Hill will face IUP tomorrow Mach 14 at 7:30 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS - Four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference women's basketball programs were selected to compete in the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, as announced by the NCAA late Sunday night.
The No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region is IUP (26-3 overall), which was crowned PSAC Champion just hours earlier on Sunday, hosts the Atlantic Regional and faces No. 8 seed Charleston, the MEC champion, in the first round.
On that same side of the bracket, No. 4 Seton Hill (21-8 overall) faces No. 5 seed Fayetteville St.
In the other half of the bracket, the No. 2-seeded Gannon Golden Knights (28-4 overall) will play No. 7 Edinboro (19-13 overall). The winner of that all-PSAC matchup faces the winner of No. 3 Winston-Salem and No. 6 Glenville St. in the Atlantic Region semifinals.