Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 21 IUP (12-1, 8-1) vs. Clarion (4-9, 3-6)
Saturday, January 14, 2012 / 5:30 p.m.
Tippin Gymnasium / Clarion, PA

Live Stats - ClarionGoldenEagles.com
Live Audio - RedZoneMedia.com

AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks continue with divisional play as they look to start another impressive winning streak as they travel up the road to Clarion to take on the Golden Eagles on Saturday at Tippin Gymnasium. IUP rebounded after its first loss of the season with a convincing 62-43 win over rival Cal on Wednesday night. The Golden Eagles are coming off of two straight losses, falling to Bloomsburg last Saturday and opening PSAC West play with a loss to Mercyhurst on Wednesday.

LAST TIME OUT
IUP got back on track after their heartbreaking loss to Millersville last Saturday by getting some revenge on rival Cal with a dominating 62-43 win over the Vulcans on Wednesday.

Cal had taken seven of the previous nine meetings, including two conference tournament victories, but the Crimson Hawks took control from the start, going into the break up by 10 before finishing the game on a 17-7 run for the 19-point victory. Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) recorded her third double-double of the year with 15  points and a career-high 18 rebounds, while So. G Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel) and Fr. G's Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) and Lisa Burton (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Penn Hills) all had season-highs in points (13).

CENTURY MARK
Crimson Hawks head coach Jeff Dow will coach his 100th game at IUP on Saturday. During his time in Indiana, Dow has put together a 74-25 (.747) overall record, along with a 40-11 (.784) mark in conference play. Dow is 5-1 against Clarion, winning by an average score of 75.7 - 63.0.

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's 12-1 start is one of its best ever, winning its first 11 games before last 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 13.1 ppg this season, she owns a 48.6 FG%, connecting on 71-146 from the field. Also 1st on the team with 8.1 rpg, Pastorek leads the team with 30 steals and 7 blocks and is 3rd with 26 assists.

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

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 13 games and starting nine, Fairman has contributed all over the court with 6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.0 apg and 22 steals. Over the past four games Fairman is shooting 50.0 percent (11-22) from the floor and 40.0 percent (4-10) from 3. She's also averaged 6.3 rpg and has 13 assists and 8 steals. 

Mathe and Stapleton have missed games recently but in Mathe's eight games she is averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg and has a 52.4 3FG% (11-21). Stapleton has started seven of her eight games, scoring 8.8 ppg with a 53.6 3FG% (15-28). 

SHOOTING THE “3”
The Crimson Hawks are statistically the best 3-point shooting team in the PSAC, connecting on 38.3 percent of their 188 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 7-13 in the last four games, including a 3-5 outing against West Chester. She's currently 5th in the PSAC with a 45.2 3FG%, going 14-31 this season.

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC, leading the conference both in points given up (50.3 ppg) and field goal percentage (31.3). The Crimson Hawks are 4th in the conference in forcing turnovers, making opponents give up possession 22.9 times per game, including a season-high 38 turnovers against Washington Adventist.

The Crimson Hawks are also 6th in the PSAC in steals with 11.2 spg, getting a combined 34 swipes in a three-game set against Mansfield, ESU and Kutztown.

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 8.2 ppg in 17.2 mpg. She's shooting 40.4 percent from the field (36-89) and has reached double-figures five times. She had a season-high 19 points in 22 minutes against Shippensburg. She's also been involved in other areas, averaging 5.4 rpg over the last five contests.

BENCH PRODUCTION
Led by Mathe and Tejada, the Crimson Hawks bench has been a huge part of the team's 12-1 start, outscoring opponents 384-168 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.

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.

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 74-25 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).