GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (11-3, 8-2 PSAC)
vs. Slippery Rock "The Rock" (7-7, 4-5 PSAC)
Saturday, January 9, 2015 | 1 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 get back to PSAC West play when they welcome Slippery Rock to the Kovalchick Complex on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. IUP enters the weekend with a season-long six-game win streak after Wednesday's 56-45 home victory over Millersville. The Crimson Hawks improved to 11-3 overall with the win and remain in sole possession of second place in the PSAC West with an 8-2 league record. Slippery Rock has lost the last four games after starting the season with a 7-3 record. The Rock fell to East Stroudsburg 78-71 in overtime on Wednesday and haven't seen the win column since a tight 71-66 victory at Cheyney on Dec. 5. SRU is 7-7 overall this year and sit in eighth place in the division with a 4-5 conference 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
• IUP's current six-game win streak is it's longest since winning seven straight from Feb. 7 to March 3 of last year
• IUP HC Tom McConnell is 4-0 against Slippery Rock in his two seasons with the Crimson Hawks, winning by an average of 19.3 points per game
• IUP has won 17 straight games over Slippery Rock, with SRU's last victory in the series coming during the 2006-07 season (62-59)
• The Crimson Hawks have held opponents under 60 points for three straight games - Millersville (45), Cheyney (34), and Edinboro (59)
• IUP ranks fourth in the PSAC with 72.5 points per game; the Crimson Hawks have scored 75 or more points six times this year and 80 points four 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 44.5 field goal percentage and a 36.8 three-point field goal percentage
• Saturday will be matchup of two of the best long-distance shooting teams in the PSAC - SRU leads the league with a 38.6 three-point percentage and is third with 6.8 made threes per game
• This matchup features the return of Lexi Carpenter, who was on IUP's roster for the 2013-14 season; She was forced to sit out the season due to transfer rules before joining Slippery Rock's roster last season
• SRU junior guard Audrey Stapleton is the younger sister of IUP Sr. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana)
• 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 opponents 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
• The win over the Vulcans was IUP HC Tom McConnell's first career victory over Cal; He's now 1-4

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 1,051 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 39.4 career three-point field goal percentage (Lacey Claar, 39.5 pct)
• Stapleton is third in IUP history with 182 made three-pointers (Claar, 215; Marita Mathe (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana), 184)
• Has 53 career double-figure scoring games, including 11 in 14 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's streak of 27 straight free throws to begin the season ended against Cal; She currently leads Division II with a 97.4 free throw percentage (37-of-38)
• Stapleton is No. 9 in the PSAC and No. 78 in the country in points per game (16.1)
• Stapleton is tied for No. 5 in the PSAC and No. 86 in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.3)
• Stapleton is No. 5 in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage (.386)
• Stapleton is No. 13 in the PSAC in No. 85 in the country in field goal percentage (.491)

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 threat in the PSAC this season, as she leads the conference and ranks 13th in Division II with a 44.9 three-point field goal percentage. Her 31 three-pointers made are 10th and her 2.2 threes per game are eighth 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-of-8) and Johnson C. Smith (4-of-8)
• Wareham is fourth on the team with a career-high 10.4 points per game this year
• Wareham set a career-high with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting at Shippensburg (Dec. 4)
• She has seven double-figure scoring games this year, scoring 17 points against 13th-ranked Cal (Dec. 16)
• Her 58 assists this year leads the team and is 12th in the PSAC; She had a season-high seven at Gannon

ZHANÉ BROOKS PROVIDES IUP's DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
Sr. F Zhané Brooks has three double-doubles in her last five games, bringing her career total to six. 
• Brooks is averaging 21.7 points and 13.7 rebounds in her three double-double games this year
• Brooks leads the Crimson Hawks 7.4 rebounds per game and is second in scoring at 13.6 points per game
• For her career, Brooks has 27 double-figure scoring games and seven double-digit rebounding games 
• Brooks is adept at getting to the line, as she ranks second in the PSAC with 90 free throw attempts; her 58 free throws made are sixth in the league

MEGAN SMITH IS PICKING UP HER PRODUCTION
So. G Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) has picked up her scoring recently, averaging 12.1 points over the last seven games. She posted her first career double-double with career-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds against Cal. Smith also has games of 14 points (at Kutztown) and 12 points (at Shippensburg & Cheyney) and is third on the team in scoring with 10.5 points 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 second in the PSAC and rank 23rd in Division II with 4.50 blocks per game and have 60 total swats. IUP has at least three blocks in 10 games this year, swatting away six or more on three ocassions. 
• Smith is third in the PSAC and 34th in the country with 26 blocks; She has eight multi-block games, including a career-high four against East Stroudsburg (Nov. 21) and West Chester (No. 22)
• Fr. F Brittany Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) is second on the team with 17 blocks and 1.2 blocks per game

IUP AGAIN DISHING IT OUT AT A HIGH FREQUENCY
The Crimson Hawks are third in the PSAC with 16.79 assists per game, dishing out at least 21 on three different occasions. Four players have at least 29 this season, led by Wareham's 58 and 4.1 per game. Stapleton has 42 (3.0), and Brooks and Smith each have 29 (2.1). 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.