Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 20 IUP (17-3, 13-3) at Cal (12-8, 9-7)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 / 5:30 p.m.
Convocation Center / California, PA

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AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks continue with the second of their PSAC West schedule when they travel to Cal to face the rival Vulcans on Wednesday. It'll be the first visit for IUP to the Vulcans new facility, the Convocation Center. IUP is coming off of a convincing 78-62 home victory over Clarion and have won four of five while Cal has dropped two straight to the top two teams in the West, No. 2 Edinboro and No. 20 Gannon.

LAST TIME OUT
Trailing by 9 to Clarion with 6:27 left in the first half, IUP used a big run before the break to take an 8 point lead into halftime en route to a 78-62 win on Saturday night at the KCAC.

Led by a couple of 3s by Fr. G's Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) and Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center), the Crimson Hawks outscored Clarion 20-3 in the final six minutes of the first half to take a 38-30 lead into the break. IUP would take leads of at least 10 several times in the second half, but Clarion would stick around until the Crimson Hawks finished on an 8-1 run in the closing minutes for the 16-point win.

Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) notched her 5th double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Mathe added 18 points, hitting 4-10 3FGs.

NATIONAL POLLS
After a 1-1 week, beating Clarion at home after a rough loss on the road to now 17th-ranked Gannon, the Crimson Hawks moved down three spots to 20th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll released by the WBCA. This is the sixth straight week IUP is in the top 25.

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 14.3 ppg this season, she owns a 49.1 FG%, 8th in the PSAC. Also 1st on the team and 5th in the PSAC with 7.9 rpg, Pastorek leads the team with 40 steals and has five double-doubles so far this year.

LOCAL FRESHMEN
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). All local talent, Mathe and Stapleton were teammates at Indiana HS while Fairman played 15 miles down the road at Marion Center HS.

ALL-AROUND THREAT
Getting work all over the court, Fairman averages 5.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg, leads the team with 51 assists and is 2nd with 36 steals. She's knocked down 16 3's and has an 82.1 FT%. Fairman has reached double figures in scoring four times, including a season-high 13 in the first meeting with Cal.

POINT-SCORER
Mathe has played in 15 games, 2nd on the team in scoring with 9.0 ppg. Finally becoming statistically eligible after missing some time, she leads the PSAC with a 48.2 3FG% (27-56). Mathe tied an IUP single-game record for 3's with 7 against Lock Haven, and has averaged 14.3 ppg with a 15-7 assist-turnover ratio the last four games.

DIFFERENCE MAKER
Stapleton has started seven of 15 games this season, averaging 8.3 ppg and is 5th in the PSAC with a 42.3 3FG% (22-52). She's been efficient from the foul line with an 82.6 FT% (19-23) and is scoring 9.7 ppg over the last three games. In her first game back in a month on Jan. 14, Stapleton scored 11 points on 4-7 shooting in just 13 minutes off the bench.

SHOOTING THE “3”
IUP is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the PSAC, making 35.2 percent of its 310 attempts, currently 3rd in the league.

Five players have at least 15 3's, led by Mathe's 27. Sr. G Arika Ullman (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) has knocked down 18 from beyond the arc and has a 34.0 3FG% while So. G Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel) has a 36.6 3FG%. 

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC, leading the conference both in points given up (53.2 ppg) and FG% (34.5). The Crimson Hawks are t-7th in the PSAC in forcing turnovers, making opponents give up possession 21.6 times per game, including a season-high 38 turnovers against Washington Adventist.

POST PLAY
Fr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) has provided additional production down low, scoring 8.8 ppg and grabbing 5.3 rpg. She's reached double-figures in scoring eight times and had her first career double-double against Bowie State with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She's efficient when fouled with an 84.3 FT% and has a 47.6 FG%.

BENCH PRODUCTION
Led by Mathe, Stapleton and Sr. F Vianca Tejada (Pennsauken, NJ/Cherry Hill East), the Crimson Hawks bench has been a huge part of the team's 17-3 start, outscoring opponents by an average of 26.9-12.6. 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.

10 different players average at least 15 minutes per game while nine regular players average more than 4.6 points per game.

QUEEN OF THE BOARDS
So. F Melanie Todd (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) is 3rd on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.7 rpg. Her 48 offensive boards are 2nd and while she plays just 15.3 mpg, Todd is averaging 12.2 rpg and 6.3 off rpg per 40 minutes. She has grabbed 5 rebounds 10 times, including a season-high 11 against Seton Hill.

FAST START
The Crimson Hawks perfect 11-0 start to their season was one of program's best ever before the heartbreaking 58-55 loss to Millersville. IUP began 16-0 to start the 1999-2000 season, finishing 24-5, advancing to the NCAA East Region semifinals.

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 79-27 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).