GameDay Central
No. 17 IUP Crimson Hawks (13-1, 9-1 PSAC)
Edinboro Fighting Scots (11-4, 8-3 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 14, 2015  |  5:30 p.m. 
Indiana, Pa.  |  Kovalchick Complex 

IUP Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats:  IUPAthletics.com  |  Fan Stats  |  Media Stats
Live Audio: WQMU 92.5 FM  |  U92radio.com
Live Video:  IUP-TV  |  BlackLightTv.com

THE GAME
Wednesday, the No. 17 Crimson Hawks return to the Kovalchick Complex to host the 11-4 Fighting Scots.  IUP, coming off its first win of the season, is now 13-1 overall, 9-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Confernce.  In the West, the Crimson Hawks currently sit at No. 2, just behind the California (Pa.) Vulcans. After IUP, the Gannon Golden Knights sit at No. 3, followed by the Fighting scots in 4th.  In IUP's Coach McConnell's second season, Edinboro remains one of two teams in which he has a losing record.   

LAST TIME OUT
Last Saturday the Crimson Hawks experienced their first loss of the season to the California (Pa.) Vulcans.  Despite Sr. G Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) posting a season-high 21 points, and Sr. G Lindsay Stamp (Erie, Pa. /Mercyhurst Prep) earning her fourth double-double of the season, the team could not overcome the Vulcans in an overtime battle.  The game ended with IUP on the wrong side of a 73-68 score, and dropped the Crimson Hawks to the No. 2 slot in the PSAC West.  

WHAT'S NEXT
Saturday, January 17, the Crimson Hawks will hit the road for a PSAC West matchup in Slippery Rock.  SRU, currently 8th in the conference, holds a 6-8 overall record. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. 

HISTORY WITH EDINBORO
In Coach McConnell's first year with IUP, he finished 0-3 when facing the Fighting Scots.  In the last three seasons, the Crimson Hawks have an 0-6 overall record against Edinboro.  IUP's last win against this team came in the 2010-11 season, when the Crimson Hawks posted a 69-56 victory.

FAST START
This season's 13-game winning streak proved to be the best start for the program since the 1999-2000 season when IUP started off 16-0.  More recently, the Crimson Hawks began 11-0 in 2011-12.  

SEEING DOUBLE
In Saturday's matchup against California, Stamp posted her fourth double-double of the season with 10 rebounds and 19 points.  Her earlier double-doubles came against Shepherd (10R, 17P), Mercyhurst (10R, 23P) and West Chester (12R, 25P).   

NATIONAL ATTENTION
With their 13-1 start, the Crimson Hawks have been recognized in two national rankings - the USA TODAY WBCA Coaches Poll and the Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA.  This week, IUP dropped one place to No. 17 in the WBCA poll after their loss to California (Pa.).  In the D2SIDA poll, the Crimson Hawks fell from No. 9 to No. 17.  

REGIONAL RANKINGS
This week, IUP has fallen to No. 2 in the D2SIDA Atlantic Regional rankings.  Last week, the Crimson Hawks were voted No. 1, but since Saturday, the Vulcans have moved into the first-place slot.  

THE LEADER
IUP leans on Stamp, the best all-around player for the Crimson Hawks.  She tops the team with 20.5 PPG, and owns a 48.6 FG% after connecting on 107-of-220 shots from the field.  Also 1st on the team with 7.6 RPG, she leads with 8 total blocks, and has added 15 steals.  

MATHE'S BIG GAME
Against the Vulcans, Mathe posted a season-high 21 points, just four points shy of her 25 career-high.  While earning these points, she broke other season records for herself including 7FGs and 5 3FGs.  

SUCCESS AT THE LINE
Leading the team in free throws, Sr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) has connected on 49-of-56 shots from the line for a FT% of 87.5.  These statistics give her a third place ranking in the conference. Most recently, she sunk a free throw with just seconds left in regulation against Cal, sending the game into overtime.  

STEALING THE SHOW
As a team, the Crimson Hawks average 8.07 SPG, earning them the 10th spot in the PSAC and 145th place in the NCAA.  Sr. G Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) leads IUP in steals with 2.9 per-game.  This statistic places her at No. 3 in the conference, and ranks her 21st in the NCAA.  Fairman has stolen 41 total balls this season, 226 in her four-year career with IUP.  

FROM BEHIND THE ARC
R-JR. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) has connected on 29-of-68 three-pointers, giving her a fourth place PSAC ranking with a 42.6 3FG%.  She also sits at sixth place in the conference with 2.1 3FGs per-game.  

MATHE WITH THE ASSIST
Dishing out 19.36 APG has earned IUP a top spot in the conference and in the NCAA.  The Crimson Hawks also hold first place in the PSAC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.25, a thrid place NCAA ranking.  

Leading the team in assists is Mathe who averages 4.7 APG, and owns a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.  Both of these statistics have her in second place in the PSAC, but her assist/turnover ratio ranks at fourth in the NCAA. 

OFF THE BENCH
Seeing action off the bench in 13 games, Jr. F Zhane Brooks (Erie, Pa. /Villa Maria) is second on the team with 5.9 RPG.  She ranks behind the five starters in points, with an average of 6.0 PPG.  Her season-highs came against Mansfield (16P) and Shepherd (9R).  

SCOUTING EDINBORO
The 11-4 Fighting Scots come into Wednesday's game after a loss to Gannon Saturday.  The Golden Knights out-scored Edinboro 76-70, giving the team their third conference loss.  The Fighting Scots average 70.9 PPG, a 6th place ranking in the PSAC.  They are led offensively by starters  Lauren Hippo, Laurel Lindsay, Aingee Freeland and Valerie Majewski.  Lindsay holds the team-high in steals with 26, followed by Hope Mancini with 22, and Hippo and Majewski with 21 each.  Edinboro has shot 37.4% from the field, and just 24.9% from behind the arc.  The Fighting Scots, however, are 190-of-280 from the foul line.