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Atlantic Region Quarterfinal
No. 5 IUP (22-6) vs. No. 4 Bloomsburg (26-5)
Friday, March 9, 2012 / 8:30 p.m.
McComb Fieldhouse / Edinboro, PA

Atlantic Region Semifinals
Saturday, March 10, 2012 / 5:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
McComb Fieldhouse / Edinboro, PA

Atlantic Region Championship
Monday, March 12, 2012 / 7:00 p.m.
McComb Fieldhouse / Edinboro, PA
 
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AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks advance to the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament as they secured the fifth seed in the Atlantic Region and will face fourth seeded Bloomsburg in a rematch of this year's PSAC semifinals. IUP and Bloomsburg split the season series 1-1 while the Crimson Hawks own a 20-16 edge over the Huskies all-time and have won six of the last eight between the two schools.

LAST TIME OUT
IUP limited Bloomsburg to just a 32.1 FG% but the Huskies converted 34-39 foul shots and got 29 bench points to defeat the Crimson Hawks 75-67 in the semifinals of the PSAC tournament at Edinboro.

The Crimson Hawks got out to an early 11-0 lead but Bloomsburg battled back to tie the game at 20-20 midway through the first half. The Huskies rallied again in the second half, taking the lead with 3:24 left and then made 12-12 free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Jr. F Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) scored 19 points and grabbed 7 boards while Fr. G Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) added 13 points on 4-8 3FGs and Fr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) finished with 10.

ATLANTIC REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
IUP advances to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament for the 2nd time in four years and 4th time in the last six. In addition to IUP and Bloomsburg, three other PSAC advanced including host and top seed Edinboro, 6th seed Gannon and 8th seed West Chester. CIAA champ Shaw is the 2nd seed while runner up Johnson C. Smith is the 3rd. WVIAC champ WV Wesleyan is the 7th seed.

NATIONAL POLLS
After advancing to the PSAC semifinals, IUP remains at 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll released by the WBCA. This is the 10th 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 48.5 FG% and a 74.3 FT%. She also leads IUP with 7.5 rpg, 55 steals, 23 blocks, is 2nd with 53 assists and has six double-doubles so far this year.

GO (DOUBLE) FIGURE
Pastorek has reached double-figures in scoring 16 straight games, a streak that covers IUP's PSAC West play along with two conference tournament games. During the streak she's averaging 15.4 ppg, including back-to-back 19-point performances in the PSAC tournament against Gannon and Bloomsburg.

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 nearby Marion Center HS.

ALL-AROUND THREAT
Getting work all over the court, Fairman averages 7.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg, leads the team with 67 assists and has 54 steals. She's been on a hot streak as of late, averaging 10.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg with a 54.1 FG% (20-32) and 10 steals over her past five games. Fairman has been a fixture in the starting lineup since the Dec. 3 Bloomsburg matchup, has knocked down 24 3's and has a 78.7 FT% on the year.

POINT-SCORER
Mathe has started 10 of 23 games and is 2nd on the team in scoring with 9.0 ppg. She's scored double-figures eight times this season from her point guard spot, including each of the last three games where she's averaged 12.7 ppg. Mathe leads IUP with a 40.9 3FG% (38-93), tying the school record with 7 in a game against Lock Haven on Jan. 25 and  has come up with big shots all year long, including her layup with :15 left in the OT win over Gannon in the quarterfinals. 

DIFFERENCE MAKER
Playing in 23 games, Stapleton is 3rd on IUP with 8.1 ppg and 2nd with 30 3s. She's IUP's leader with an 84.8 FT% (39-46) and has gone 18-21 over the last six games. Stapleton has reached double-figures in scoring nine times, including four times off the bench. In her seven games against Bloomsburg, Gannon and Edinboro she scored 8.4 ppg and went 10-23 from 3-point range (43.5 pct).

SHOOTING THE “3”
IUP is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the PSAC, making 33.6 percent of its 441 attempts, going 19-51 over the past three games, including 6-13 against Bloomsburg. Five players have at least 17 3's, including Sr. G Arika
Ullman (36.6 3FG%) and So. G Talen Watson (Odenton, MD/Arundel) (29.8 3FG%).

PLAYING DEFENSE
IUP is playing some of the best defense in the PSAC and the nation, 2nd in the conference in points given up (55.6 ppg - 19th in D2) and 1st FG% (35.6 - 27th in D2). IUP forced Bloomsburg into a 32.1 FG% (17-53) in the PSAC semifinals while eight opponents had less than a 30.0 FG% this year. 

POST PLAY
Fr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) has provided additional production down low, scoring 7.9 ppg and grabbing 4.6 rpg. She's been slowed recently but scored 10 first half points against Bloomsburg in the PSAC semifinals. Stoner had 10 double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 18 points against Bowie State.

BENCH PRODUCTION
Led by Mathe, Stapleton and Sr. F Vianca Tejada (Pennsauken, NJ/Cherry Hill East), the IUP bench has been a huge part of the team's 22-6 record, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.2-13.3. 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 season, averaging 8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg with 7 steals in the last four games. She scored 17 points and grabbed 17 boards in the back-to-back games against Gannon, including her first career double-double, and added 8 points against Bloomsburg.

QUEEN OF THE BOARDS
So. F Melanie Todd (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) is 3rd on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.2 rpg. Her 60 offensive boards are 2nd and while she plays just 14.0 mpg, Todd is averaging 12.0 rpg and 6.1 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 IS UP
Jeff Dow (Oregon '88) is in his fourth season as the head coach at IUP, compiling a record of 84-30 at the school, leading the Crimson Hawks to four consecutive PSAC tournament appearances during his tenure.