2015 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships - First Round
No. 2 IUP Crimson Hawks (25-3, 20-2 PSAC)
vs. No. 7 Shepherd Rams (21-9, 15-7 MEC)
Friday, March 13, 2015 | 2:30 p.m.
Hamer Hall | California, Pa. 

IUP Game Notes (PDF)
Live Video: IUP-TV | UStream.tv
Live Audio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Live Stats: CalVulcans.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
NCAA Division II Tournament Digital Program

THE GAME
The Crimson Hawks open the 2015 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships Friday against the Shepherd Rams in the first round.  IUP drew the second seed in the Atlantic Region with an overall 25-3 record, with the Rams holding the seventh seed with a 21-9 mark on their season.  In the all-time series with Shepherd, IUP leads 4-2.  
LAST TIME OUT
Last week, IUP fell to West Chester in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) semifinals 63-59 in Bloomsburg.  This loss ended the Crimson Hawks' quest for a PSAC championship win, which would have been the programs first since 2009.  Sr. G Lindsay Stamp (Erie, Pa. /Mercyhurst Prep) led IUP with her 10th double-double of the season, finishing the game with 13P, 12R.  

WHAT'S NEXT
If the Crimson Hawks defeat Shepherd in the atlantic regional first round, they will advance to the NCAA semifinals Saturday, March 14.  In the semifinals, IUP would face either No. 3 Bloomsburg (24-4) or No. 6 Gannon (21-7).  Should the Crimson Hawks win Saturday, they will advance to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship Monday.  

HOW THEY GOT HERE
IUP finished the regular-season 25-3, clinching the top spot in the PSAC Western Division.  This first-place finish was the first the program has seen since the 2008 season. In the PSAC championships, the Crimson Hawks defeated Edinboro in the quarterfinals, 71-63, but lost in the semifinals to 63-59.  

IUP IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
This is IUP's 9th NCAA tournament appearance, with their most recent coming in the 2012-13 season.  The program has tallied two Sweet 16 appearances (1999, 2007), and just one Elite Eight appearance (1999).  

AGAINST THE RAMS 
In November, the Crimson Hawks defeated Shepherd in Indiana 85-52 backed by three players scoring in double-figures.  Stamp earned her first double-double of the 
season against the Rams with 17P, 10R.  IUP finished the day shooting 38.9% from the field, 33.3% from behind the arc.  

PLAYING IN CALIFORNIA
The NCAA tournament was last held in California, Pa., in 2009, when the Crimson Hawks made it to the second round.  IUP advanced to the semifinals after defeating Johnson C. Smith in the first round 78-66.  The Crimson Hawks ended their quest for an NCAA title in the semifinals with a 65-59 loss to PSAC opponent Gannon.  

NATIONAL ATTENTION
With their 25-3 record, the Crimson Hawks have been recognized in two national polls - the USA TODAY WBCA Coaches Poll and the Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA.  This week, IUP came in at No. 11 in the USA TODAY poll, and No. 12 in the D2SIDA poll.  

WINNER, WINNER
This season has proved to be record-breaking for the Crimson Hawks.  27 wins is the most in a single season in program history, placing the 2014-15 team just three wins shy of a new record.  In addition, the highest winning percentage recorded in a season was .844, posted in 2007-08 by a 27-5 IUP team.  This year's Crimson Hawks have surpassed that, earning a .923 winning percentage this far. 

SHOOTING BEHIND THE ARC
For the second consecutive year, the Crimson Hawks broke a single season team record in three-pointeres and head into this weekend with 229 in 28 games.  Five different players have made at least 20 this year, including Stamp with 57.  The previous team record was 195.  

MATHE ON FIRE
In the region, Sr. G Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) remains the only player who averages a high 5.1 assists per-game, and the guard a 42.7 3FG%.  

ATLANTIC REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
Stamp was named the 2015 Atlantic Region Player of the Year after proving to be one of the top scorers in the nation this season.  The guard becomes the first in program history to earn this honor.  

Stamp leads the conference and is 19th in the nation with 19.9 PPG.  She's scored in double-figures in 26-of-28 games, netting 20-or-more points on 15 occasions, including a season-high 32 points against Pitt-Johnstown.  

IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
Stamp remains just one of three players in IUP history to earn 500 points in a single season.  Her 556 points so far this season places her at 4th all-time, setting her just 56 points short of tying the all-time record of 612.  

LOOKING TOWARDS 1,000
Mathe goes into Saturday's game just 22 points shy of the 1,000 career-points mark.  This season, the senior averages 9.0 PPG, with a season-best of 21.   

SEEING DOUBLE
Stamp earned two consecutive double-doubles in last week's PSAC tournament, including 19P, 10R against Edinboro and 13P, 12R against West Chester.  These two added to the guards 10 total for the season.   Sr. F Ashley Stoner (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Thomas Jefferson) has posted five double-doubles this season, with her most recent in the regular-season matchup against Edinboro with 24P, 10R.  

MATHE WITH THE ASSIST
Dishing out 18.79 APG has earned IUP a top spot in the conference and a third place ranking in the NCAA.  The Crimson Hawks also hold 1st place in the PSAC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.30, an 5th place NCAA ranking.  

Leading the team in assists is Mathe who averages 5.1 APG, and owns a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.  She holds the No. 2 spot for her assists per-game in the conference, 23rd in the nation.  Her 2.8 assist/TO ratio places her at 2nd in the PSAC, 3rd in the nation.  

SCOUTING SHEPHERD
The Shepherd Rams enter the NCAA tournament coming off a 75-65 loss in the second round of the Mountain East Conference.  The Rams, 21-9, finished their season 4-4 in non-conference play, including a loss to IUP early in the season.  Shepherd owns a 42.8 FG%, averaging 28.2 shots per-game.  From behind the arc, the Rams hold a 34.1 3FG%.  In 30 games, the team posted an average 15 turnovers per-game and 39.4 RPG.  Sr. C Gabby Flinchum leads the offense with 12.9 PPG, in addition to her 6.5 RPG.  She is closely followed by Sr. G Rachel Johnson with 12.4 PPG.  Reserve Fr. G Morgan Arden also posts a high 10.4 PPG.