Complete Game Notes (PDF) / Edinboro Host Page / PSAC Tournament Page / Bloomsburg Preview

PSAC Semifinal
W3 IUP (22-5) vs. E1 Bloomsburg (25-4)
Friday, March 2, 2012 / 5:30 p.m.
McComb Fieldhouse / Edinboro, PA

PSAC Championship
Saturday, March 3, 2012 / 7:00 p.m.
McComb Fieldhouse / Edinboro, PA

Live Stats - GoFightingScots.com
Live Video - Edinboro.tv
Live Audio - RedZoneMedia.com

AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks continue in the 2012 PSAC Women's Basketball Tournament as they play the East's top seed, Bloomsburg in the semifinals at Edinboro. IUP, the third seed from the West, is on a four game winning streak while the Huskies are winners of 11 straight games.

LAST TIME OUT
A layup by Fr. G Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) gave IUP a three-point lead with 15 seconds left in OT, lifting the Crimson Hawks to a 71-68 win over Gannon in the quaterfinals on Tuesday in Erie.

Mathe was won of four players in double-figures, scoring 14 points while Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Fr. G's Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) and Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) added 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Sr. F Vianca Tejada (Pennsauken, NJ/Cherry Hill East) had 9 points and 7 boards.

PSAC TOURNAMENT
Three of the four higher seeds advanced on Tuesday's quarterfinals to set up the PSAC championship round this weekend in Edinboro. (see PDF for more information)

REGIONAL RANKINGS
IUP remains 5th  in the latest NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings, sitting behind Edinboro (1st), Johnson C. Smith (2nd), Gannon (3rd), and Shaw (4th). The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA tournament with the PSAC, WVIAC and CIAA champs getting automatic berths. Brackets will be announced Sunday, March 4.

NATIONAL POLLS
After last week's wins, IUP bumped up to 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll released by the WBCA. This is the ninth 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 14.1 ppg this season, she owns a 49.1 FG%, 5th in the PSAC. Also 1st on the team and 10th in the PSAC with 7.5 rpg, Pastorek is t-1st on the team with 53 steals and has six 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 at Marion Center HS.

ALL-AROUND THREAT
Getting work all over the court, Fairman averages 7.0 ppg and 3.9 rpg, and leads the team with 64 assists and 53 steals. She's knocked down 23 3's and has an 79.1 FT%. Fairman has reached double-figures in scoring eight times and is averaging 10.8 ppg with a 60.0 FG% (18-30) and 9 steals over the past four games.

POINT-SCORER
Mathe has started nine of 22 games and is 2nd on the team in scoring with 8.9 ppg. 3rd in the PSAC with a 40.0 3FG% (34-85), Mathe has come up with big shots all year long, including her layup with 15 seconds left in the OT win over Gannon in the quarterfinals. 

DIFFERENCE MAKER
Stapleton has started eight of 22 games this season, averaging 8.4 ppg and is 2nd on the team with 30 made 3s. She's been efficient from the foul line, leading the team with an 84.1 FT% and has a 41.8 FG%. In the matchup with Bloomsburg on Dec. 3, Stapleton drained 3 3-pointers had finished with 12 points.

SHOOTING THE “3”
IUP is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the PSAC, making 33.2 percent of its 428 attempts, currently 5th in the league. Five players have at least 16 3's, led by Mathe's 34. In the first matchup with Bloomsburg, IUP hit 9 3-pointers.

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC, 2nd in the conference in points given up (54.9 ppg) and 1st FG% (35.7). The Crimson Hawks are 6th in the PSAC in forcing turnovers, making opponents give up possession 21.2 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 7.8 ppg and grabbing 4.7 rpg. She's reached double-figures in scoring 10 times and had her first career double-double against Bowie State with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She's efficient when fouled with an 80.0 FT% and has connected on 64-133 of her shots from the field (48.1 percent).

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 20-5 record, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.4-12.7. Using anywhere from five-to-seven  players off the bench, IUP has owned a huge advantage in nearly every game, including a 39-11 point spread against Bloomsburg on Dec. 3.

WHEN IT COUNTS
Tejada has been effective at the end of the, averaging 8.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg with 6 steals in the last three games. On Senior Night against Gannon, she scored 9 points and had a career-high 10 boards before scoring 9 points with 7 rebounds in the quarterfinals win over the Golden Knights. 

QUEEN OF THE BOARDS
So. F Melanie Todd (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) is 3rd on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.4 rpg. Her 60 offensive boards are 2nd and while she plays just 14.3 mpg, Todd is averaging 12.2 rpg and 6.2 off rpg per 40 minutes. She has grabbed 5 rebounds 12 times, including a season-high 11 against Seton Hill and 8 against Bloomsburg on Dec. 3.

THE DOW FILE
Jeff Dow (Oregon '88) is in his fourth season as the head coach at IUP, compiling a record of 83-29 at the school, leading the Crimson Hawks to three consecutive PSAC tournament appearances during his tenure.