GAMEDAY CENTRAL
2016 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships
Atlantic Region First Round
(8) IUP Crimson Hawks (21-8, 16-6 PSAC)
at (1) Virginia Union Lady Panthers (25-2, 14-2 CIAA)
Friday, March 11, 2016 | 5:00 p.m.
Richmond, Va. | Barco-Stevens Hall

Tickets: $15/day, can be purchased in person or call 804.342.3887

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: NCAA/Turner | ncaa.com live stats 
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Watch: YouTube | youtube.com
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks open up the 2016 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Women's Basketball Championships against top seed and host Virginia Union on Friday. Tipoff at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond, Va. is scheduled for 5 p.m. IUP earned the eighth seed in the region with its 21-8 overall record and runner-up finish in the PSAC tournament. Virginia Union won the CIAA tournament and boasts a 25-2 record this year as the Lady Panthers serve as the regional host for the first time in school history. The winner of this matchup will advance to the Atlantic Region semifinals to play the winner of fourth seeded Wheeling Jesuit (26-5) and fifth seeded West Chester (21-7). Full NCAA bracket on page 7. 

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
• This is IUP's 10th all-time appearance in the NCAA tournament, including its fourth time in the last five seasons
• It is also the second straight appearance by the Crimson Hawks under third year head coach Tom McConnell, who has a 64-22 record at IUP
• IUP is 7-9 in NCAA tournament games, with Sweet 16 berths in 1999 and 2007
• IUP also has one regional championship and Elite Eight appearance (1999)
• This is the fourth all-time meeting between these two schools, with IUP winning each of the previous three at in-season tournaments - 95-51, Best Western Classic (2000); 87-47, at Bloomsburg, Pa. (1998); and 87-67, at Manchester, N.H. (1991)
• It's IUP's first regular or postseason game in the state of Virginia since playing Albany State and Barton in Petersburg, Va. to open up the 1999-00 season under then-coach Sandy Thomas
• IUP's 21-8 record this year marks the program's ninth 20-win season and second under McConnell
• Six of those 20-win seasons have come in the last nine years
• IUP is 1-1 against nationally-ranked opponents this season, falling to #25 West Chester 92-79 on Nov. 22 and defeated #13 California 78-72 on Dec. 16; Virginia Union enters the NCAAs ranked #8 in the country
• This will be the highest ranked opponent IUP has played against since falling to #2 Gannon 78-69 on Jan. 15, 2014 in Erie
• The Crimson Hawks are 8-7 away from home this season, including a 7-7 record in road games and 1-0 in neutral site contests
• Virginia Union is 11-0 at home this year, but will be playing in the Arthur Ashe Center for the first time
• The Lady Panthers are led by National Player of the Year candidate Kiana Johnson, who leads Division II with 28.6 points per game and is second with 8.9 assists per game; She shoots 46.3 percent from the floor, 41.3 percent from three-point range, and 83.9 percent from the foul line, and has eight 30-point and four 40-point games
• IUP is arguably the top shooting team in the PSAC, leading with a 38.2 three-point percentage and ranking third  with a 42.5 field per percentage
• IUP's current 38.2 three-point percentage is higher than last year's record-breaking season of 36.3 percent
• IUP has held opponents to 60 points or fewer points 13 times this year, including eight of the last 12 games

LESLIE STAPLETON IS ONE OF THE TOP SCORERS, SHOOTERS IN SCHOOL HISTORY
R-Sr. G Leslie Stapleton (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) broke IUP's career three-point record against West Chester in the PSAC semifinals, entering the NCAA tournament with 216. In December, she became the 23rd player in IUP history to reach the 1,000-point milestone and with 1,290 points is within striking distance of becoming the ninth player in the history of the program to score 1,300. 
• In 12 career postseason games, Stapleton is averaging 11.1 points and shooting 38.5 percent from the field with 29 three-pointers; She scored a career-high 33 points and made six three-pointers in the PSAC semifinals
• She has 65 career double-figure scoring games, including 23 times in 29 games this season
• Stapleton's career-high 33 points against West Chester was her ninth 20-point game this season
• Stapleton is second in IUP history with a 39.1 career three-point field goal percentage (Lacey Claar, 39.5 pct)
• Stapleton's 66 three-pointers this year are tied for third in single season IUP history (Claar, 74; Katie Glaws, 71)
• She has two of the top six three-point shooting seasons in IUP history (59 made is sixth, 2013-14)
• She has made at least one three-pointer in 94 of her 113 career games played
• Stapleton is second in Division II with a 93.3 free throw percentage (97-of-104); She's had consecutive made free throw steaks of 34, 27 and 22 straight this year
• Her current single season (.933) and career (.885) free throw percentages are the best in PSAC history
• Stapleton is No. 8 in the PSAC in points per game (16.0)
• Stapleton is No. 4 in the PSAC in three-point field goal percentage (.379)
• Stapleton is tied for No. 4 in the PSAC in three-point field goals (66)

MARINA WAREHAM IS ANOTHER THREE-POINT THREAT FOR THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Sr. G Marina Wareham (New Wilmington, Pa. /Kennedy Catholic) is a top three-point threat, leading the PSAC and ranking 25th in in the country with a 42.0 percentage. Her 66 three-pointers made are tied for third most in single season school history.
• She's currently third in IUP history in career (39.1) and single season (42.0) three-point percentage
• Her record eight three-pointers against UPJ helped her to a career-high 28 points
• She's fourth on the team with 10.3 points per game and has reached double-figures in scoring 14 times
• Her 108 assists are 11th in the PSAC; She had a career-high eight assists vs. Slippery Rock (Jan. 9)
• Her 1.8 assist-turnover ratio (108-61) is fifth in the PSAC 

ZHANÉ BROOKS PROVIDES IUP's DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
Sr. F Zhané Brooks has 11 double-doubles this year, including
five in her last eight games, with a career total of 14.
• She has a career-high 25 points twice this year - at Slippery
Rock (Feb. 13) and vs. Gannon (March 1)
• Brooks leads the Crimson Hawks with 7.7 rebounds per game
and is second in scoring at 14.9 points per game
• For her career, Brooks has 41 double-figure scoring games and
15 double-digit rebounding games

MEGAN SMITH HAS BECOME A BIG TIME THREAT
So. G Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) has taken off this season, averaging 12.4
points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
• She's averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in the postseason, while sh ooting 45.9 percent from the floor, 45.5 percent from three, and 80.0 percent from the line
• Smith set new career-highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds at
Slippery Rock (Feb. 13)
• She has 20 double-figure scoring games this season
• She is tied for fifth in the PSAC with 49 blocks (1.7 per game)
• Smith has 14 multi-block games, including a career-high five
against Clarion (Jan. 16)