GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (7-3, 4-2 PSAC)
vs. No. 13 California (Pa.) Vulcans (8-1, 6-0 PSAC)
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 | 5:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: IUPAthletics.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks return to the court after an 11-day break when they host 13th-ranked California (Pa.) on Wednesday evening. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Kovalchick Complex. IUP enters the matchup with a 7-3 overall record and is on a two-game win streak, with close road victories over Shippensburg (82-79) and Kutztown (80-74) two weekends ago. The nationally-ranked and defending Division II champion Vulcans are 8-1 overall this season, with its only loss to then-21st-ranked West Liberty back on Nov. 15. Cal leads the PSAC West with a 6-0 league record while the Crimson Hawks are tied for fourth with a 4-2 record. 

The game will be broadcast on WQMU 92.5 FM with the voice of IUP Athletics, Jack Benedict, calling the action. You can also listen on u92radio.com and on the u92radio app on your smartphone. 

STORYLINES
• Both teams are 0-1 this year against ranked teams - Cal fell to 21st-ranked West Liberty on Nov. 15 and IUP lost to 25th-ranked West Chester 92-79 on Nov. 18
• IUP had a 25-2 regular season record a year ago, with those two losses coming at the hands of the Vulcans (73-68 on the road, 76-45 at home)
• The Vulcans represent the PSACs only NCAA women's basketball champion, winning the Division II title in 2015 and 2004
• Cal ranks second in the conference in scoring defense giving up an average of 61.9 points per game, holding opponents to less than 60 points four times; However, the Vulcans have played just one team that averages more than 72 points per game - West Liberty (81.1 ppg)
• The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank 36th in the country in scoring at 75.1 points per game; They've reached 80 points on four occasions, including a season-high 88 against East Stroudsburg
• IUP also leads the PSAC with a 46.3 field goal percentage and is tied for the league-lead with 7.1 made three-pointers per game
• This matchup features two of the highest scoring trios in the PSAC; Cal's Miki Glenn (18.9), Seairra Barrett (15.0) and Precious Martin (10.9) average 44.8 points per game while IUP's Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) (18.1), Zhané Brooks (13.7) and Marina Wareham (New Wilmington, Pa. /Kennedy Catholic) (10.7) score 42.5 points per contest
• The Vulcans are one of the best in the country at forcing turnovers and not giving the ball away, as they lead the PSAC and rank 25th in the nation with a +5.20 turnover margin

LESLIE STAPLETON IS ONE OF THE TOP SCORERS, SHOOTERS IN SCHOOL HISTORY
R-Sr. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) became the 21st player in IUP history to reach the 1,000-point milestone at Kutztown on Dec. 5. She enters this matchup with 1,006 career points and is on pace to become the eighth player in the history of the program to score 1,300. 
• Stapleton is second in IUP history with a 39.1 career three-point field goal percentage (Lacey Claar, 39.5 pct)
• Stapleton is third in IUP history with 176 made three-pointers (Claar, 215; Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana), 184)
• Has 51 career double-figure scoring games, including nine in 10 games this season
• She set a career-high with 26 points against West Chester (Nov. 22) and has three 20-point games this season
• Stapleton leads Division II with a perfect 100 free throw percentage; she is the only player in the country who has reached the minimum of 2.5 made free throws per game who has yet to miss
• Stapleton is No. 4 in the PSAC and No. 52 in the country in points per game (18.1)
• Stapleton is tied for No. 4 in the PSAC and No. 66 in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.6)
• Stapleton is No. 7 in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage (.366)
• Stapleton is No. 11 in the PSAC in No. 73 in the country in field goal percentage (.512)

MARINA WAREHAM IS ANOTHER THREE-POINT THREAT FOR THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Sr. G Marina Wareham (New Wilmington, Pa. /Kennedy Catholic) is the top three-point threat in the PSAC this season, as she leads the conference and ranks 15th in Division II with a 49.0 three-point field goal percentage. Her 25 three-pointers made and 2.5 threes per game are both seventh in the conference.
• Wareham opened the season with at least one three-pointer in eight straight games; she had a season-high four three-pointers against West Chester (4-8) and Johnson C. Smith (4-8)
• She also has a 51.9 field goal percentage (40-77) that would rank ninth in the PSAC 
• Wareham set a career-high with 21 points on 9-13 shooting at Shippensburg
• She has five double-figure scoring games this year, also scoring 16 points against ESU and Johnson C. Smith
• Her 42 assists this year leads the team and is tied for eighth in the PSAC; Wareham is also tied for eighth in the conference with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio 

ZHANÉ BROOKS PROVIDES IUP's DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
Sr. F Zhané Brooks posted her first double-double of the year - and fourth of career - with 24 points and 10 rebounds at Kutztown. She went 9-13 from the field and 6-9 from the foul line in 35 minutes. Brooks leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and is second with 13.7 points per game.
• For her career, Brooks has 24 double-figure scoring games and five double-digit rebounding games 
• Brooks is adept at getting to the line, as she ranks second in the PSAC with 61 free throw attempts; her 43 free throws made are tied for third in the league

MEGAN SMITH IS PICKING UP HER SCORING
So. G Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) has picked up her scoring recently, averaging 12.0 points over the last three games. She set a new career-high with 14 points at Kutztown, while also dishing out five assists. Smith is also shooting 48.4 percent (15-31) from the field over the three game stretch against Gannon, Shippensburg and Kutztown. 

CRIMSON HAWKS ARE ONE OF THE TOP SHOT-BLOCKING TEAMS IN THE CONFERENCE
A new facet to IUP's game this year has been the blocked shot, as the Crimson Hawks have 46 in 10 games and are second in the PSAC with 4.60 per contest. IUP has at least three blocks in nine games this year, swatting away six or more on three ocassions. 
• Smith is second in the PSAC and 27th in the country with 17 blocks and third with 1.7 blocks per game; She had four blocks in back-to-back games against ESU and West Chester
• Fr. F Brittany Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) is tied for fifth in the conference with 14 blocks and 1.4 blocks per game

IUP AGAIN DISHING IT OUT AT A HIGH FREQUENCY
The Crimson Hawks are third in the PSAC with 17.40 assists per game, dishing out at least 21 on three different occasions. Four players have at least 22 this season, led by Wareham's 42 and 4.2 per game. Stapleton has 30 (3.0), Brooks has 24 (2.5) and Smith has 22 (2.2). IUP wrapped up last year third in the NCAA with 18.6 assists per game and set a program record for single season assists with 538. 

TOM McCONNELL REACHED 50 WINS AT IUP; TIED FOR FASTEST COACH IN SCHOOL HISTORY TO REACH MARK
IUP HC Tom McConnell won his 50th game at IUP with the 80-74 victory at Kutztown on Dec. 5. With the win, he tied Cindy Martin with the fastest coach in school history to reach the mark at 68 games. McConnell went 18-10 in 2013-14 and followed that up with a 25-4 record last season.