GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 2/2 IUP Crimson Hawks (15-0, 10-0 PSAC)
at No. 14/22 California Vulcans (15-2, 10-1 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | 5:30 p.m.
California, Pa. | Convocation Center

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Stats: CalVulcans.com | Sidearm Stats
Radio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com | U92.5 Sports App (Android & iPhone)
Video: CalVulcans.com | Stretch Internet
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Saturday, Jan. 20 vs. Clarion (5:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, Jan. 24 vs. Seton Hill (5:30 p.m.)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
2nd-ranked IUP women's basketball (15-0, 10-0 PSAC) will play its second straight top 25 road matchup on Wednesday when they head to 14th-ranked California (15-2, 10-1 PSAC). Tipoff at the Convocation Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks are coming off a 74-68 win at 14th-ranked Edinboro on Saturday to remain undefeated, while the Vulcans dropped their first game since November, losing to Seton Hill 64-58 in Greensburg.  

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Saturday's 74-68 win at Edinboro was the closest victory for the Crimson Hawks since edging Bowie State 61-54 back on Dec. 7, ending a string of six straight blowout wins
>> The win, coupled with Cal's loss to Seton Hill, officially vaulted IUP to the top of the PSAC West standings; With the help of one more league game played, Cal did hold a half-game lead over IUP
>> IUP's 15 consecutive wins this year are one short of tying the program record for the longest win streak; The current record of 16 came at the start of the 1999-00 season
>> The Crimson Hawks are 6-0 in road games this year, includign 5-0 against the PSAC; Cal is 9-0 at home
>> This is a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship game won by IUP 84-79 in Shippensburg

SERIES WITH CALIFORNIA
>> Cal leads the all-time series with IUP 45-36
>> The Vulcans are the only team on this year's schedule that IUP HC Tom McConnell has a losing record against, going 2-8 in the last four seasons
>> Even with the strong recent success of both teams, they've only met once in the last four years each ranked in the top 25; 25th-ranked Cal defeated 17th-ranked IUP 73-68 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE VULCANS
>> Cal is 15-2 overall and second in the PSAC West with a 10-1 league record
>> The Vulcans are 9-0 at home, including a 74-71 win over 12th-ranked Edinboro on Dec. 30
>> Cal has the second best scoring defense (57.6) in the PSAC; IUP is first (53.1) 
>> Cal is second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II with a +7.18 turnover margin
>> The Vulcans' defense leads the PSAC and ranks fifth in Division II with 24.6 forced turnovers per game; They've forced 20+ turnovers 14 times in 17 games this season
>> Sr. F Shatara Parsons is a PSAC West Athlete of the Year candidate; She averages 22.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 2.6 BPG with a 52.0 FG% and five double-doubles

CRIMSON HAWKS ACHIEVED TOP RANKINGS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
>> IUP is ranked No. 2 in the latest WBCA Coaches' Top 25 and D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls
>> Both rankings are the best ever achieved by IUP women's basketball
>> The Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 3 by the WBCA each of the last three polls (Dec. 21, Jan. 3, Jan. 9)
>> IUP has been ranked No. 2 by the media since Jan. 3

TOM MCCONNELL REACHES MILESTONE
>> HC Tom McConnell won his 100th game on the IUP bench with the 89-38 win over Mercyhurst (Jan. 6)
>> McConnell's .774 win percentage is first all-time among IUP coaches, and his 103 victories are fourth - 1. Jan Kiger (141), 2. Sandy Thomas (122), 3. Jeff Dow (108)
>> McConnell is averaging 22 wins per season, including a career-best 25 during the 2014-15 season
>> His current 15-game win streak is the longest of his career
>> He's also nearing the career 200-win milestone with a 188-135 record in 12 coaching seasons; McConnell went 85-105 in seven seasons (1992-99) as the St. Francis head men's basketball coach

IUP HAVING ONE OF ITS TOP SCORING SEASONS IN RECENT HISTORY
>> The Crimson Hawks are 3rd in the PSAC and 20th in Division II averaging 79.0 points per game
>> The 79.0 average is the most since setting the program record of 79.4 during the 1995-96 season
>> IUP has scored 80-plus points five times and has defeated teams by at least 20 points on nine occasions
>> The Crimson Hawks set a school record with 125 points in its Education Day victory over Geneva (Dec. 18)
>> Other records broken that day included points in a quarter (38) and field goal percentage (.685)
>> Three marks from the Geneva game are 2nd in school history - points in a half (65), margin of victory (72), and field goals made (50)

CRIMSON HAWKS ARE THE BEST SHOOTING TEAM IN THE PSAC
>> IUP leads the PSAC with a 47.5 FG% (439-924) and 38.7 3FG% (117-302) 
>> The Crimson Hawks 38.7 3FG% is also the second best in the region and ranks 8th in Division II
>> They have made at least 10 3-pointers six times this year, including 11 vs. Lock Haven and Mercyhurst
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) leads the PSAC and ranks 12th in Division II with a 47.8 3FG% (43-90)
>> Led by Smith, four players have at least 18 made 3-pointers this year

Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) PUTTING TOGETHER A CAREER SCORING YEAR
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) is having a career year, leading IUP and ranking 5th in the PSAC with 18.2 PPG
>> She has reached double-figures in scoring 14 times in 15 starts
>> Smith scored a career-high 34 points in a 72-53 win at Pitt-Johnstown (Jan. 3); She went 12-18 from the field, 6-9 from 3-point range, and 4-6 from the foul line
>> Smith scored 29 points in a 74-48 win at Mansfield (Dec. 9); She went 9-of-18 from the field, 5-9 from 3-point range, and 6-7 from the foul line
>> Smith hit the 1,000-point milestone at Mansfield; Her 1,131 career points is currently 21st all-time in program history and 10 shy of Staci Heberling (1,141) for 20th all-time

Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) ONE OF TOP DISHERS IN THE PSAC
>> R-Jr. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) leads the PSAC and ranks 37th in Division II with 5.0 assists per game
>> She set a new career-high with 10 assists in a 79-61 win over East Stroudsburg (Jan. 10)
>> Wolosik has dished out ast least 5 assists nine times this year, including 8+ four times
>> She is tied for second in the PSAC with a 2.0 assist-turnover ratio