Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 18IUP (13-1, 9-1) vs. No. 3 Edinboro (14-0, 10-0)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 / 5:30 p.m.
Kovalchick Complex / Indiana, PA

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

AT A GLANCE
IUP hosts a battle of top 20 teams when the 18th-ranked Crimson Hawks face third-ranked Edinboro at the Kovalchick Complex on Wednesday night. Starting another win-streak with a victory at Clarion on Saturday, the Crimson Hawks will look to extend that against Edinboro, one of the best teams in the nation. The undefeated Fighting Scots have won their last four PSAC contests by a combined 84 points.

LAST TIME OUT
The Crimson Hawks started their new win streak on Saturday with a 67-60 victory at Clarion. The win followed last Wednesday's 19-point win over Cal.

IUP played strong early, building a 14-point lead but the Golden Eagles rallied to cut their deficit to six heading into the break. Again the Crimson Hawks made big runs in the second half to lead by as many as 20 points but Clarion refused to give in, cutting IUP's advantage to nine with under two minutes remaining. The Crimson Hawks played tough, stretching their advantage back to 12 and holding off the Golden Eagles for the seven-point win.

Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 6 boards while Fr. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) scored 11 points in 13 minutes off the bench in her first action since December 10.

PSAC WEST ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) was named PSAC West Athlete of Week on Monday after averaging 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in IUP's two wins last week. Her 15-point, 18-rebound performance against Cal was her third double-double this year.

NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks continue their climb in the national polls, moving up three spots to 18th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll released by the WBCA. IUP was ranked 21st last week, tied with PSAC West rival Gannon.

FAST START
IUP's 13-1 start is one of its best ever, winning its first 11 games before a 58-55 heartbreaking loss 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 13.4 ppg this season, she owns a 49.7 FG%, connecting on 78-157 from the field. Also 1st on the team with 7.9 rpg, Pastorek leads the team with 32 steals and 9 blocks and is 3rd with 27 assists.

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

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 14 games and starting 10, Fairman has contributed all over the court with 6.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg and 25 steals. Over the past five games Fairman is shooting 52.0 percent (13-25) from the floor and 42.9 percent (6-14) from 3. She's also averaged 5.8 rpg and has 15 assists and 11 steals over that time. 

Mathe and Stapleton have missed games recently but in Mathe's nine games she is averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.1 rpg and has a 52.2 3FG% (12-23). Against Clarion, Stapleton saw her first action since Dec. 10, scoring 11 points in 13 minutes.

SHOOTING THE “3”
The Crimson Hawks are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the PSAC, connecting on 36.7 percent of their 207 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 sent 7-13 during a four-game streak. She's currently 5th in the PSAC with a 42.4 3FG%, going 14-33 this season. Fairman has been hot, making five of her last 10 attempts.

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC, leading the conference both in points given up (51.0 ppg) and field goal percentage (32.2). The Crimson Hawks are 5th in the conference in forcing turnovers, making opponents give up possession 23.1 times per game, including a season-high 38 turnovers against Washington Adventist.

The Crimson Hawks are also 6th in the PSAC in steals with 11.4 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 7.9 ppg in 17.4 mpg. She's shooting 39.6 percent from the field (38-96) 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 5.2 rpg over the last six contests.

BENCH PRODUCTION
Led by Mathe and Tejada, the Crimson Hawks bench has been a huge part of the team's 13-1 start, outscoring opponents 414-178 this season. Using anywhere from five-to-seven  players off the bench, IUP has owned a huge advantage in nearly every game, including a 30-10 point spread in the road win at Clarion.

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 75-25 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).