INDIANA, Pa. - The No. 2 Gannon women's basketball team placed four players in double digits for the fourth consecutive game and hit 21-of-26 free throws en route to a 69-48 victory at Indiana (Pa.) Saturday night. The victory was Gannon's first at IUP's Memorial Field House since a 52-48 verdict during the 1994-95 campaign. The Lady Knights were 2-7 all-time at IUP prior to Saturday's game, including a 65-52 loss last season which represented the program's last regular-season defeat.

Saturday's verdict was Gannon's 38th consecutive regular-season victory, third straight win over IUP and 44th consecutive victory when leading at halftime. The Lady Knights, who are the only undefeated team left in Division II, could now possibly move into the No. 1 spot in the country after current-No. 1 Franklin Pierce dropped a 71-64 decision to Merrimack last Wednesday. The USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 is released every Tuesday afternoon.

Kim Vargas (Sterling, Va./Broad Run) scored the game's first five points with a three-pointer and lay-up. Defensively, Gannon held IUP without a field goal until Sarah Pastorek hit a jumper 4:01 into the contest. The two teams were tied once and exchanged the lead twice over the next 3:08, before the Lady Knights took the lead for good.

Kristina Freeman (Yonkers, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) snapped an 8-8 tie and kick started a 9-0 run with a jumper and a three-pointer. Julie Kleber's (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) three-point bomb at the 11:21 mark pushed the Lady Knights in front, 17-8.

Gannon stretched its lead to 22-12 after a quick 5-0 run on the wings of another Kleber three-pointer and Shanna Thompson (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) lay-up. The two squads played on even terms for the remainder of the half as the Lady Knights took a 31-22 lead into the break.

Indiana (Pa.) pulled within 40-33 after six straight points midway through the second half. However, Gannon responded with a 13-3 run over the next 4:38 and was never threatened again. The Lady Knights led 62-48, before ending the game with a 7-0 run over the last 2:04. Freeman's three-pointer with 35 seconds left accounted for Gannon's largest lead of the evening and the final score of 69-48.

Freeman led all scorers with 17 points, six rebounds and four steals. Carrie Nolan (Girard, Pa./Girard) was 9-of-9 from the free throw line while producing 13 points. In the process, she moved past Casey England (2004-07) and into ninth place all-time at Gannon with 1,231 career points.

Brittany Tabron (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic) and Vargas added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Tiffany Crocker (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) had four points, six rebounds, six assists and one turnover in 37 minutes. The senior point guard has recorded 24 assists and only three turnovers in 114 minutes during the last three games.

Gannon shot 38.9 percent (21-54) from the field, 27.3 percent (6-22) from three-point range and 80.8 percent (21-26) from the free throw line.

Pastorek headlined the IUP scoring attack with 14 points. Eryn Withers netted 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. Lacey Claar chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.

Indiana (Pa.) shot 36.2 percent (17-47) from the floor, 31.3 percent (5-16) from behind the arc and 56.3 percent (9-16) from the charity stripe.

Gannon, ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II and No. 1 in the Atlantic region, remained undefeated at 28-0 overall and 12-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. The Lady Knights finished the regular season road schedule with a perfect 18-0 mark away from the Hammermill Center.

Indiana (Pa.) dropped to 15-9 overall and 8-4 in conference play. Gannon returns home Wednesday, February 24 against rival Mercyhurst at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

There will be no ticket pre-sale for Wednesday's Gannon-Mercyhurst basketball doubleheader. Tickets will be available at the Hammermill Center when doors open at 4:30 p.m.

For a complete box score from Saturday's Gannon-Indiana (Pa.) women's basketball game, please click here.