GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 3/2 IUP Crimson Hawks (11-0, 6-0 PSAC)
vs. Mercyhurst Lakers (5-7, 3-3 PSAC)
Saturday, January 6, 2018 | 2 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: IUP Comm Media | IUPathletics.com/watch
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Monday, Jan. 8 vs. Slippery Rock (5:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, Jan. 10 vs. East Stroudsburg (5:30 p.m.)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
3rd-ranked IUP women's basketball (11-0, 6-0 PSAC) will play at home for the first time in 2018 when they host Mercyhurst (5-7, 3-3 PSAC) on Saturday. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is set for 2 p.m. (Changed from 5:30 p.m.) This starts a string of three straight home games for the Crimson Hawks as they continue their first round of divisional play. They are coming off of a 72-53 win at Pitt-Johnstown while Mercyhurst lost at Slippery Rock 60-57 on Wednesday. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> This will be the second PSAC West game for both IUP and Mercyhurst this season; IUP had its original divisional opener at Gannon on Dec. 30 postponed to Feb. 12 due to the snowstorm in Erie
>> The Crimson Hawks are 6-0 at home this season and 54-8 in Indiana since the 2013-14 season under HC Tom McConnell
>> Mercyhurst is 2-6 in games away from home this season, picking up wins at Mansfield (4-9) and at Wheeling Jesuit (4-8)
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) is coming off the top scoring game of her career on Wednesday, posting 34 points on 12-18 FGs (6-9 3FGs) against Pitt-Johnstown

SERIES WITH MERCYHURST
>> The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time series with Mercyhurst 23-5 and currently own a three-game win streak 
>> IUP swept the regular season series with the Lakers last year, adding a PSAC tournament victory in March
>> IUP is 16-0 against Mercyhurst dating back to the 1983-84 season
>> IUP HC Tom McConnell is 7-2 against Mercyhurst, outscoring the Lakers by an average score of 70-62

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAKERS
>> Mercyhurst is 5-7 overall is currently tied for seventh in the PSAC West with a 3-3 league record
>> The Lakers are 1-3 in PSAC road games this year
>> They are second in the PSAC with a +5.7 rebounding margin (IUP is first at +7.4)
>> They rank 13th in the PSAC with an average scoring margin of -2.7 points, the biggest loss coming to West Liberty (76-55) on Nov. 12
>> Soph. F Amber Renz is 10th in the PSAC with 16.9 PPG this season; She has four 20-point games, including a season-high 27 points against Millersville

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

TOM MCCONNELL NEARING MILESTONE
>> HC Tom McConnell is approaching his 100th victory on the IUP bench as he owns a 99-30 overall record (.767) since taking over the program before the 2012-13 season
>> McConnell is averaging 22 wins per season, including a career-best 25 during the 2014-15 season
>> His current 11-game win streak is his third longest behind the 13-game streak during 2014-15 and the 12 straight wins last year
>> He's also nearing the career 200-win milestone with a 184-135 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 30th in Division II averaging 78.8 points per game
>> The 78.8 average is currently the best since the program record of 79.4 during the 1995-96 season
>> 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)
>> IUP has scored 80-plus points four times and has defeated teams by at least 20 points on seven occasions

CRIMSON HAWKS ARE THE BEST SHOOTING TEAM IN THE PSAC
>> IUP leads the PSAC with a 46.6 FG% (313-672) and 38.1 3FG% (86-226) 
>> The Crimson Hawks 38.1 3FG% is also the best in the region and ranks 15th in Division II
>> They have made at least 10 3-pointers in a game five times this year, including 11 vs. Lock Haven
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) leads the PSAC and ranks 18th in Division II with a 46.9 3FG% (30-64)
>> IUP 3-point school records for a season include 237 made 3s in 2014-15 and a 37.9 3FG% in 2015-16

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 seventh in the PSAC with 17.9 PPG
>> She has reached double-figures in scoring 10 times in 11 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 1,055 career points is currently 23rd all-time in program history and 25 shy of Jacqui Martin (2000-04) for 22nd 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 32nd in Division II with 5.3 assists per game
>> She set a new career-high with 9 assists in a 78-53 win over Lock Haven (Nov. 18)
>> Wolosik has dished out ast least 5 assists eight times this year, including 9 once and 8 twice
>> She is tied for fifth in the PSAC with a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio