GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(A2) IUP Crimson Hawks (23-6, 18-4 PSAC)
vs. (A7) Johnson C. Smith Bulls (22-7, 12-4 CIAA )
Friday, March 10, 2017 | 2:30 p.m.
California, Pa. | Hamer Hall
California Host Page | CalVulcans.com

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: NCAA.com | NCAA Game Center
Watch: Vulcan All-Access | Calvulcans.com
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Listen: Smartphone | U92 Sports App
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks open up their NCAA postseason this Friday when they battle Johnson C. Smith at Hamer Hall in California, Pa. Tipoff of the Atlantic Regional first round game is set for 2:30 p.m. IUP (23-6) enters tournament play as the No. 2 seed in the region and fresh off of its PSAC Championship Game victory over California. JCSU (22-7) earned an automatic NCAA bid by defeating Virginia State for the CIAA title. The winner of this matchup will advance to Saturday's semifinals to face the winner of No. 3 Virginia Union and No. 6 Wheeling Jesuit.

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.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• IUP is making its 11th all-time NCAA tournament appearance, including a run of three straight seasons under HC Tom McConnell; IUP is 7-10 in NCAA games with its last regional title game appearance in 2007 (L, Glenville St.)
• This is the second time in three seasons that McConnell has guided the Crimson Hawks to a No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region; IUP lost in the 2015 first round to No. 7 seed Shepherd (68-60)
• IUP is looking for its first regional championship and Elite Eight trip since 1999
• These two teams met in November 2015, with IUP winning 64-43 at the KCAC; Six players from each team return from that game, including four JCSU starters
• IUP and JCSU also played a 2009 Atlantic Regional first round game in 2009 at Cal's Hamer Hall, with the Crimson Hawks winning 78-66; 2009 was the last time IUP won a PSAC title prior to this season
• JCSU ranks 15th in Division II with 11.4 steals per game, and limits opponents to just under 63 points per contest
• IUP averaged over 76 points during the PSAC tourney, including 84 against the vaunted Cal defense

IUP WON FIFTH ALL-TIME PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP, FIRST SINCE 2009
The Crimson Hawks won the program's fifth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday with an 84-79 victory over California in Shippensburg. The PSAC title was the first since IUP finished off a three-peat from 2007-09, all wins over the Vulcans. Soph. G Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) was named the PSAC Tournament MVP after averaging 22.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while hitting 22-23 from the free throw line. 

CRIMSON HAWKS OFFENSE HITTING ITS STRIDE HEADING INTO NCAA TOURNAMENT
IUP enters the NCAA Atlantic Regional with a hot-shooting offense, as the Crimson Hawks averaged 76.3 points in their three conference tournament games. IUP shot 50.9 percent from the floor, including 42.6 percent from three-point range, and also made 83.3 percent from the foul line. The Crimson Hawks 84 points in the PSAC title game were the most scored by a Cal opponent in 60 games, dating back to November 2015 (West Liberty, 88). 

CRIMSON HAWKS' TRIO NAMED TO ALL-PSAC WEST TEAMS
The Crimson Hawks landed the most players of any PSAC West team on the all-league list, as Appleby, Jr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry), and R-Soph. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa. /North Catholic) each earned second team honors. Appleby is in her first year as IUP's starting point guard, leading the team with 14.6 points per game and 97 assists. Smith averages 14.1 points and is the team-leader at 5.5 rebounds per outing, also posting two double-doubles. Wolosik has rebounded nicely from an injury, contributing in all facets, and is having one of the best three-point shooting seasons in program history. 

APPLEBY ON IUP HISTORIC RUN, SHOWS HER BEST IN BIG GAMES
Appleby's 67 points over the last three games broke an IUP record for the most combined points scored during a PSAC tournament, breaking Jahzinga Tracey's mark of 62 in 2007. Her 30 points in the title game were also more than the Hall of Famer Tracey ever scored in a postseason game for IUP. Just a sophomore, Appleby has stepped up in PSAC and NCAA tournament games, averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 assists with a double-double, while shooting 91.9 percent from the free throw line in seven career postseason games. 

CRIMSON HAWKS ONE OF TOP THREE-POINT SHOOTING TEAMS IN DIVISION II
IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 13th in Division II with a 37.4 three-point field goal percentage. The Crimson Hawks shot 42.6 percent from deep during the PSAC tournament, including a 9-14 performance against Cal in the title game. R-Soph. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa. /North Catholic) is the team-leader with 57 threes made and a 43.2 three-point percentage.

LAUREN WOLOSIK PUTTING TOGETHER ONE OF THE TOP 3-POINT SHOOTING SEASONS IN IUP HISTORY
Wolosik's three-point numbers are nearing the top of the IUP single season charts. Her 57 threes are currently eighth all-time, while her 43.2 percentage is the third best ever. She's also tied for ninth in the PSAC this season with 2.0 made three-pointers per game. 

IUP RANKS THIRD IN DIVISION II WITH 5.48 BLOCKS/GAME
Led by So. F Brittany Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa. /Central Dauphin East), the Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank third in the country with 5.48 blocked shots per game. IUP's 159 total blocks this year is a program record. Robinson is putting together one of the best blocking seasons in program history with 58 through 29 games, while Jr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) has added 29. Four more players have at least 14 this year for a team that has performances of 14 blocks vs. Shippensburg (Dec. 3) and 10 blocks vs. UPJ (Jan. 3). 

BRITTANY ROBINSON IS ONE OF THE TOP SHOT BLOCKERS IN ATLANTIC REGION
Robinson leads the the PSAC, ranks second in the Atlantic Region, and 31st in Division II averaging 2.00 blocked shots per game. She's posted at least one block in 24 of 29 games, collecting six swats in three PSAC tournament games. Robinson has performances of seven blocks (vs. Shippensburg) and six blocks (at Millersville), and has a chance to threaten the program's all-time single season blocked shots record of 69.

IUP HEADS INTO NCAAs RANKED IN TOP 25
For the first time all season, IUP entered a Top 25 poll as the Crimson Hawks are No. 22 in the D2SIDA Media rankings. Despite IUP's win over Cal in the PSAC title game and the Crimson Hawks 23-6 overall record, were left out of the WBCA Coaches Top 25.