Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 21 IUP (11-1, 7-1) vs. Cal (8-4, 5-3)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 / 5:30 p.m.
Kovalchick Complex / Indiana, PA

Live Stats - IUPAthletics.com
Live Video - NMTVSports.com
Live Audio - RedZoneMedia.com

AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks look to rebound from a heartbreaking 58-55 loss to Millersville on Saturday as they face bitter rival Cal in a PSAC West showdown at the KCAC on Wednesday. The loss was the first of the season for IUP, which hopes to reverse its recent fortune with Cal, as the Vulcans have taken seven of the last nine matchups in the past three seasons. After a five-game winning streak, the 8-4 Vulcans are coming off an 89-66 blowout loss at the hands of West Chester, which IUP defeated by 19 points on Friday.

LAST TIME OUT
IUP suffered its first loss of the season this past weekend, falling to Millersville 58-55 on a three-pointer at the buzzer. The defeat came a night after the Crimson Hawks blew past West Chester 61-42, which is in a three-way tie with the Marauders and Bloomsburg for the top spot in the PSAC East.

In the loss to the Marauders, IUP built a big lead by the beginning of the second half, getting up on Millersville by 17 points with 17:44 left in the game. The Marauders then slowly chipped away at the lead, knocking down 3's and forcing turnovers before finally taking a 55-54 lead with :49 left. After the Crimson Hawks tied the score :22 later, Carly Gallagher knocked down a 26-footer with no time left on the clock for the win.

In Friday's win, IUP used three 3's by So. G Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel) to extend a second half eight point lead to 19 in less than two minutes as the Crimson Hawks ran away with the victory. Watson finished with 9 points while Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) had 16 points on 7-12 shooting, adding 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Sr. F Vianca Tejada (Pennsauken, NJ/Cherry Hill East), Fr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) and Fr. G Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) each had 8 boards.

NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks have moved up three spots to 21st in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll released by the WBCA. IUP is in a tie for the spot with Gannon after debuting in the polls last week at 24th.

FAST START
IUP is off to one of its best starts ever, winning its first 11 games before Saturday's 58-55 setback to Millersville. The perfect 11-0 mark was its best start to a season since the program went 16-0 to begin the 1999-2000 season. That year IUP finished 24-5, advancing to the NCAA East Region semifinals.

THE LEADER
IUP leans on Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort), the best all-around player for the Crimson Hawks. Tops on the team with 12.9 ppg this season, she owns a 49.2 FG%, connecting on 65-132 from the field. Also 1st on the team with 7.3 rpg, Pastorek leads the team with 27 steals and 5 blocks and is 3rd with 24 assists.

Pastorek has two double-doubles so far this year and has led IUP in scoring and rebounding six times apiece.

POST PLAY
Fr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) has provided additional production down low for the Crimson Hawks, adding 10.6 ppg and 5.8 rpg, both 2nd on the team. Boasting a 49.4 FG% (44-89), Stoner has been even better when she gets to the charity stripe, where she's gone 39-45 (86.7 pct.).

Stoner had her first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Bowie State and had a season-high 19 points earlier in the year in the win over Cheyney.

SHOOTING THE “3”
The Crimson Hawks are statistically the best 3-point shooting team in the PSAC, connecting on 39.3 percent of their 173 attempts. They've made at least six 3's in a game seven times, going 8-15 at Cheyney and 9-14 at Shippensburg and also went 6-14 against West Chester.

Leading the way recently has been So. G Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel), who's gone 6-11 in the last three games, including a 3-5 outing against West Chester. She's currently 5th in the PSAC with a 44.8 3FG%, going 13-29 this season.

FRESHMAN BACKCOURT
Getting valuable playing time as true freshmen this year are G's Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center), Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) and Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana). Playing in all 12 games and starting eight, Fairman has contributed all over the court with 5.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.0 apg and 21 steals. She began the season shooting 8-17 from 3-point range while 23 of her rebounds have been on the offensive end.

Mathe and Stapleton have missed games recently but in Mathe's seven games she is averaging 9.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg and has a 55.0 3FG% (11-20). Stapleton has started seven of her eight games, scoring 8.8 ppg with a 53.6 3FG% (15-28).   

PROVIDING A SPARK
Sr. F Vianca Tejada (Pennsauken, NJ/Cherry Hill East) has has given the Crimson Hawks scoring off the bench this season, averaging 8.5 ppg in 16.7 mpg. She's shooting 44.2 percent from the field (34-77) and has reached double-figures five times. She had a season-high 19 points in 22 minutes against Shippensburg and is averaging 20.4 points/40 minutes. She's also been involved in other areas, averaging 5.5 rpg over the last four contests and coming up with at least 1 steal in eight games.

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC, leading the conference both in points given up (50.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (31.4). The Crimson Hawks are 4th in the conference in forcing turnovers, making opponents give up possession 23.4 times per game, including a season-high 38 turnovers against Washington Adventist.

The Crimson Hawks are also 6th in the PSAC in steals, getting a combined 34 swipes in a three-game set against Mansfield, ESU and Kutztown.

BENCH PRODUCTION
Led by Mathe and Tejada, the Crimson Hawks bench has been a huge part of the team's 11-1 start, outscoring opponents 371-158 this season. Using anywhere from five-to-seven  players off the bench, IUP has owned a huge advantage in nearly every game, including a 31-7 point spread in the win over Bowie State, a game that saw 11 Crimson Hawks score.

THE DOW FILE
Jeff Dow (Oregon '88) enters his fourth season as the head coach at IUP after leading the Crimson Hawks to a record of 19-8, 11-3 in the PSAC West and an appearance in the PSAC Quarterfinals last season.

Dow has a record of 73-25 at IUP and has led the Crimson Hawks to three
consecutive PSAC tournament appearances during his tenure. Over the course of his first three years, Dow has set school records in winning 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons in PSAC West divisional games and for overall winning percentage in PSAC West games (.761).