GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 2/2 IUP Crimson Hawks (15-1, 10-1 PSAC)
vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (7-11, 4-7 PSAC)
Saturday, January 120, 2018 | 5:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex

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

COMING UP
Wednesday, Jan. 24 vs. Seton Hill (5:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 27 at Mercyhurst (1 p.m.)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Coming off their first loss of the season, 2nd-ranked IUP women's basketball (15-1, 10-1 PSAC) returns home this weekend to host Clarion (7-11, 2-10). Tipoff on Saturday at the Kovalchick Complex is set for 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks fell at 14th-ranked California 62-53 on Wednesday, putting an end to their 15-game win streak. Clarion has lost six straight games, including Wednesday's 77-51 defeat at 17th-ranked Edinboro. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Wednesday's loss ended the Crimson Hawks' 15-game win streak, the second longest in program history; IUP's longest win streak was 16 games to open the 1999-00 season
>> Cal has dominated the Crimson Hawks in the last five seasons, winning 9 of 11 meetings
>> The race for the top of the PSAC West remains tight with Cal (11-1), IUP (10-1) and Edinboro (10-2) separated by just one game in the standings
>> The Crimson Hawks are 9-0 at home this year, including 5-0 against PSAC teams; Clarion is a combined 3-6 in road/neutral site games

SERIES WITH CLARION
>> IUP leads the all-time series with Clarion 54-23, including a 23-3 record since the 2004-05 season
>> The Crimson Hawks have won 12 straight games over Clarion at home; IUP's last loss to Clarion in Indiana was Feb. 26, 2005 (85-73)
>> IUP HC Tom McConnell is 7-1 lifetime against Clarion, with that lone loss coming on the road (64-59) last year
>> R-Jr. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) averaged 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games vs. Clarion last year

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
>> Clarion is 7-11 overall and last in the PSAC West with a 2-10 league record
>> The Golden Eagles have lost six straight games by an average of 10.8 points per game
>> Their lone PSAC wins have come at Shippensburg (65-59) on Dec. 3 and over Pitt-Johnstown (60-44) on Dec. 30
>> Clarion is 3-6 away from home, with their last road win coming at Shippensburg
>> The Golden Eagles do have the sixth best scoring defense in the PSAC, allowing just 65.7 points
>> They've given up 58.0 PPG in their last eight games, but have gone just 2-6 during that span 

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 .769 win percentage is second 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 recent 15-game win streak is the longest of his career
>> He's also nearing the career 200-win milestone with a 188-136 (.580) 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 4th in the PSAC and 31st in Division II averaging 77.4 points per game
>> The 77.4 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 47.2 FG% (461-976) and 38.3 3FG% (121-316) 
>> The Crimson Hawks 38.3 3FG% is also the second best in the region and ranks 9th 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 16th in Division II with a 45.3 3FG% (43-95)
>> Led by Smith, four players have at least 19 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 7th in the PSAC with 17.5 PPG
>> She has reached double-figures in scoring 14 times in 16 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 1,138 career points is currently 21st all-time in program history and three 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 35th in Division II with 5.1 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 10 times this year, including 8+ four times
>> She is third in the PSAC with a 2.0 assist-turnover ratio