GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (12-4, 9-3 PSAC)
vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (6-12, 6-6 PSAC)
Saturday, January 16, 2015 | 5:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: SidearmStats.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Watch: BackLight TV | backllightv.com
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
After suffering their first loss in over a month, the Crimson Hawks return home to host Clarion on Saturday evening. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. IUP will look to rebound after a tough 87-86 overtime defeat at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday. The loss snapped the Crimson Hawks' seven-game win-streak, as they hadn't lost since falling at Gannon on Dec. 1. They enter the weekend with a 12-4 overall record and are still one-half game behind PSAC West-leading Gannon with a 9-3 league record. Clarion has dropped two straight and four of its last five, falling to sixth place in the division with an even 6-6 conference record. The Golden Eagles are 6-12 overall.

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
• IUP's recent seven-game win streak was it's longest since winning seven straight from Feb. 7 to March 3 of last year
• IUP HC Tom McConnell is undefeated in his four previous meetings with Clarion, winning by an average of 20.5 points per game
• The Crimson Hawks have won eight straight over Clarion, with the last loss coming on Feb. 19, 2011 (63-60); IUP has won 19 of the last 20 in the series, including a streak of 10 straight home wins over the Golden Eagles
• The loss to Pitt-Johnstown was McConnell's first to the Lady Cats in six combined games since arriving at IUP in 2013
• The Crimson Hawks are 4-2 against PSAC West opponents this year, including three straight wins over Slippery Rock, Edinboro and California (Pa.)
• IUP is 7-1 at home this season, including a 6-1 record in the Kovalchick Complex; Clarion is 2-6 on the road
• The 28 points that the Crimson Hawks scored in the fourth quarter against Slippery Rock was the most in a single quarter all season
• The Crimson Hawks have held opponents under 60 points six times this year, including three of the last five
• IUP is the second highest scoring team in the PSAC with 73.9 points per game; the Crimson Hawks have scored 75 or more points eight times this year and 80 points six times, including a season-high 88 points against East Stroudsburg
• IUP is one of the top shooting teams in the league, ranking second with a 44.3 field goal percentage and a 37.9 three-point field goal percentage
• The Crimson Hawks gave up 34 points to Cheyney, which is tied for the 11th fewest allowed in program history and the least since allowing 32 points to Lock Haven on Feb. 21, 2011
• IUP's 78-72 win over No. 13 California (Pa.) was its first over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 20 West Chester 76-54 on Jan. 4, 2015 on the road
• It was recently announced that IUP's game at California (Pa.) on Jan. 27 will be broadcast live on ESPN3 as part of Division II's Game of the Week

LESLIE STAPLETON IS ONE OF THE TOP SCORERS, SHOOTERS IN SCHOOL HISTORY
R-Sr. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) became the 23rd player in IUP history to reach the 1,000-point milestone at Kutztown on Dec. 5. She enters this matchup with 1,094 career points and is on pace to become the ninth player in the history of the program to score 1,300. 
• Stapleton is second in IUP history with a 39.2 career three-point field goal percentage (Lacey Claar, 39.5 pct)
• Stapleton is second in IUP history with 186 made three-pointers (Claar, 215)
• Has 55 career double-figure scoring games, including 13 in 16 games this season
• She set a career-high with 26 points against West Chester (Nov. 22) and has five 20-point games this season
• Stapleton leads Division II with a 98.0 free throw percentage (49-of-50); She's made her last 22 free throws dating back to IUP's game against Cal (Dec. 16) and opened the season making 27 straight
• Stapleton is No. 4 in the PSAC and No. 75 in the country in points per game (16.5)
• Stapleton is tied for No. 6 in the PSAC in three-point field goals per game (2.3)
• Stapleton is No. 7 in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage (.375)
• Stapleton is No. 10 in the PSAC in No. 86 in the country in field goal percentage (.482)

MARINA WAREHAM IS ANOTHER THREE-POINT THREAT FOR THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Sr. G Marina Wareham (New Wilmington, Pa. /Kennedy Catholic) is one of the top three-point threats in the PSAC this season, as she leads the conference and ranks 21st in Division II with a 45.1 three-point field goal percentage. Her 37 three-pointers made are tied for seventh and her 2.3 threes per game are tied for sixth in the conference.
• Wareham is fourth on the team with a career-high 10.9 points per game this year
• She has scored in double-figures nine times this year; Wareham had a career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting at Shippensburg (Dec. 4)
• Wareham opened the season with at least one three-pointer in nine straight games; She's made a season-high four three-pointers four times - vs. East Stroudsburg (Nov. 21), West Chester (Nov. 22), Johnson C. Smith (Nov. 29) and Slippery Rock (Jan. 9)
• Wareham is tied for eighth in the PSAC with 68 assists and is tied for 10th with 4.3 assists per game; She had a career-high eight assists against Slippery Rock (Jan. 9)
• Her 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio (68-40) is tied for fifth in the PSAC 

ZHANÉ BROOKS PROVIDES IUP's DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
Sr. F Zhané Brooks has five double-doubles this year, including four in her last seven games. Her career total is seven. 
• Brooks is averaging 18.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in her five double-doubles this season
• Brooks leads the Crimson Hawks 7.5 rebounds per game and is second in scoring at 13.7 points per game
• For her career, Brooks has 29 double-figure scoring games and nine double-digit rebounding games 
• Brooks is adept at getting to the line, as she ranks second in the PSAC with 102 free throw attempts; her 65 free throws made are sixth in the league

MEGAN SMITH HAS BECOME A BIG TIME THREAT
So. G Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) has come into her own, reaching double-figures in scoring eight times with two double-doubles in her last nine games, averaging 13.4 points during that span. 
• Smith is third in the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game
• She has 10 double-figure scoring games this season
• She scored a career-high 21 points against Slippery Rock (Jan. 9)
• Smith notched her first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Cal (Dec. 16) 
• She scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds at UPJ (Jan. 13)
• She is tied for second in the PSAC with 27 blocks and tied for fourth with 1.7 blocks per game

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 are third in the PSAC and rank 41st in Division II with 4.19 blocks per game. IUP has at least four blocks in 10 games this year, swatting away six or more on four ocassions. 

IUP AGAIN DISHING IT OUT AT A HIGH FREQUENCY
The Crimson Hawks are fifth in the PSAC with 16.38 assists per game, dishing out at least 21 on four different occasions. With 262 total dishes, IUP has assisted on over 62 percent of its total made free throws. Four players have at least 30 this season, led by Wareham's 68 and 4.3 per game. Stapleton has 44 (2.8), Brooks has 34 (2.1) and Smith has 31 (1.9). 

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.