GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (16-6, 13-5 PSAC)
at Clarion Golden Eagles (8-16, 8-10 PSAC)
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 | 5:30 p.m.
Clarion, Pa. | Tippin Gymnasium

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: SidearmStats.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 begin a two-game road week as they head to Clarion to face the Golden Eagles on Wednesday night. Tipoff at Tippin Gymnasium is set for 5:30 p.m. IUP enters the week coming off of a 73-60 home victory over Edinboro on Saturday, remaining in a two-way tie with Gannon for second place in the PSAC West with a 13-5 conference record. The Crimson Hawks are looking for their first road win since the beginning of January, dropping each of their last three tries. Clarion enters this matchup after defeating Mercyhurst 62-55 over the weekend, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Golden Eagles are in postseason contention, currently sitting one-game back of a possible PSAC tournament spot with two weeks left in the season.

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 defeated Clarion 68-57 in the season's first matchup on Jan. 16 at the Kovalchick Complex
• The Crimson Hawks are 5-5 on the road this season, dropping each of their last three games away from home; IUP's last road win came over Cheyney on Jan. 3 (56-34)
• Clarion has a 5-6 record at home this season, including a 63-56 win over Millersville (14-7, 10-7) back in November
• IUP HC Tom McConnell hasn't lost to Clarion in his five tries, defeating the Golden Eagles by an average of nearly 19 points per game
• IUPs 73 points against Edinboro was the first 70-point game for the Crimson Hawks in their last six games; IUP is averaging 73.4 points per game in its last five games against Clarion
• IUP remains one of the top shooting teams in the league, leading the PSAC with a 38.3 three-point percentage and ranking third with a 42.9 field goal percentage
• IUP has held opponents to 60 points or fewer points 11 times this year, including eight in the last 11 games
• The Crimson Hawks are giving up an average of 58.2 points over their last 11 games, forcing opponents into 155 turnovers (14.1/game) and a 36.8 shooting percentage
• Clarion is one of the lowest scoring teams in the PSAC, currently 14th in the league averaging 63.5 points per game; Clarion has reached 70 points once in the last eight games
• Clarion Jr. G Tyra Polite scored a career-high 27 points against IUP on Jan. 16; She's Clarion's leading scorer with 13.6 points per game
• The 28 points that the Crimson Hawks scored in the fourth quarter against Slippery Rock (Jan. 9) were the most in a single quarter for IUP this season
• 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 Cal (Dec. 16) was its first over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 20 West Chester 76-54 on Jan. 4, 2015 on the road

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 1,178 career points and is on pace to become the ninth player in the history of the program to score 1,300. 
• In seven career games against Clarion, Stapleton is averaging 11.0 points per game, including 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting (4-of-7 from three) against the Golden Eagles on Jan. 16
• She has 60 career double-figure scoring games, including 18 times in 22 games this season
• She set a career-high with 26 points against West Chester (Nov. 22) and has seven 20-point games this season
• Stapleton is tied for first in IUP history with a 39.5 career three-point field goal percentage (Lacey Claar, 39.5 pct)
• Stapleton is second in IUP history with 201 made three-pointers (Claar, 215)
• She has made at least one three-pointer in 88 of her 106 career games played
• Stapleton is third in Division II with a 92.3 free throw percentage (60-of-65); She opened the season making 27 straight and also had a streak of 22
• Stapleton is No. 10 in the PSAC in points per game (16.0)
• Stapleton is No. 4 in the PSAC and No. 59 in the country in three-point field goal percentage (.392)
• Stapleton is tied for No. 4 in the PSAC and No. 70 in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.3)
• Stapleton is No. 10 in the PSAC in field goal percentage (.473)

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 is second in the conference and 26th in the country with a 42.7 three-point field goal percentage. Her 50 three-pointers made are seventh and her 2.3 threes per game are tied for sixth in the conference.
• She has made at least one three-pointer in 19 of IUP's 22 games this season, including a career-high 6-of-8 performance against Edinboro (Feb. 6)
• Wareham is fourth on the team with a 10.4 points per game
• She has scored in double-figures 11 times this year, including a career-high 24 points against Edinboro (Feb. 6)
• Her 88 assists and 4.0 assists per game are both 11th in the PSAC; She had a career-high eight assists vs. Slippery Rock (Jan. 9)
• Her 1.8 assist-turnover ratio (88-50) is tied for third in the PSAC 

ZHANÉ BROOKS PROVIDES IUP's DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
Sr. F Zhané Brooks has seven double-doubles this year, including six in her last 13 games. Her career total is 10.
• She scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds in the season's first matchup with Clarion (Jan. 16) 
• Brooks leads the Crimson Hawks 7.2 rebounds per game and is second in scoring at 13.7 points per game
• For her career, Brooks has 34 double-figure scoring games and 11 double-digit rebounding games 

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 nine times with two double-doubles in her last 12.
• She nearly missed a third double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds against Clarion (Jan. 16) in the first meeting
• Smith is third in the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game
• She has 14 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 is tied for third in the PSAC with 38 blocks (1.8 per game)
• Smith has 11 multi-block games, including a career-high five against Clarion (Jan. 16)

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.