GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(W1) IUP Crimson Hawks (26-2, 20-2 PSAC)
vs. (E3) Millersville Marauders  (17-11, 12-10 PSAC)
Saturday, March 3, 2018 | 3:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Stats: IUPAthletics.com | Statbroadcast
Radio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com | U92.5 Sports App (Android & iPhone)
Video: IUPAthletics.com | IUPAthletics.com/watch
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Sunday, March 4 PSAC Championship (3 p.m.)
*Dependent on victory in previous round

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Top-seed IUP women's basketball (26-2, 20-2 PSAC) hosts Millersville (17-11, 12-10 PSAC) in the semifinal round of the 2018 PSAC Championships Saturday afternoon. The game will be the second semifinal of the day and is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex. The Crimson Hawks are the PSAC West regular season champions and earned hosting rights for the PSAC final four after a 67-52 win over Seton Hill in the quarterfinals. Millersville, the East's No. 3 seed, advanced with a 91-76 win at No. 2 seed East Stroudsburg. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is making its 21st appearance in the PSAC tournament with a 26-15 (.634) all-time record; IUP is 7-5 in the semifinal round, including wins in 2016 and 2017
>> The Crimson Hawks are looking for the program's sixth all-time and second straight PSAC Championship; The six championships would tie California and Shippensburg for the most in conference history
>> IUP is one win away from tying the program record of wins in a season; The 2007-08 team finished 27-5
>> With its win at Seton Hill last Saturday, IUP set a program record for regular season victories (25); It's the fourth straight 20-win season under IUP HC Tom McConnell
>> The Crimson Hawks are 16-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents an average of 77.7-50.5
>> Millersville is 6-7 away from home, but has won three straight - two at ESU, once at Kutztown

SERIES WITH MILLERSVILLE
>> IUP leads the all-time series with Millersville 22-12; IUP HC Tom McConnell is 3-0 against the Marauders
>> These two teams last met on Jan. 11, 2017, with IUP wining 61-47 at Millersville
>> IUP is 3-1 against Millersville in the PSAC tournament, including a 71-53 win in the 2007 semifinals

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MARAUDERS
>> Millersville is 17-11 overall and earned the No. 3 seed from the PSAC East with a 12-10 conference record
>> The Marauders defeated Mansfield 51-38 at home in the 1st round before upsetting No. 2 seed ESU on the road
>> Millersville enters the weekend winners of five straight games, including wins over Kutztown (64-57), Lock Haven (81-57) and East Stroudsburg (80-78) to close out the regular season
>> Millersville is seeking the program's fourth PSAC title and first since 2005
>> The Marauders went 1-5 against PSAC West teams this year, defeating Clarion and losing to Edinboro, Mercyhurst, Pitt-Johnstown, Slippery Rock and Gannon

CRIMSON HAWKS AMONG BEST TEAMS IN REGION, DIVISION II
>> IUP has been ranked in the top 25 of the WBCA poll in all 13 releases this year, reaching No. 2 on  Jan. 17
>> That No. 2 ranking is the highest achieved in program history
>> The Crimson Hawks are 2nd in both installments of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings; The NCAA field of 64 will be announced Sunday, March 4

TOM MCCONNELL NAMED PSAC WEST COACH OF THE YEAR; HAS 100 WINS IN FIVE SEASONS
>> HC Tom McConnell was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year on Thursday, becoming the fourth IUP coach to earn such honors from the conference
>> He was the fastest IUP coach to 100 wins with an 89-38 win over Mercyhurst (Jan. 6); He currently owns a 114-32 (.781) record in five seasons at IUP
>> His .781 win percentage is leads all IUP coaches, and his 114 victories are third
>> McConnell is averaging 22.8 wins per season, including a career-best 26 wins this year
>> The 25 regular season victories this year is the most in IUP history
>> IUP's 15-game win streak this year is the longest of McConnell's career
>> He's also nearing the career 200-win milestone with a 199-137 (.591) record in 12 coaching seasons; McConnell went 85-105 in seven seasons (1992-99) as the St. Francis head men's basketball coach

IUP IS ONE OF THE MOST BALANCED TEAMS IN THE CONFERENCE
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 2nd in Division II in scoring defense (52.8 PPG); The Crimson Hawks have held opponents to less than 60 points 21 times in 28 games
>> The Crimson Hawks are 3rd in the PSAC in scoring offense (74.8 PPG) and are 5th in the nation in scoring margin (+22.0); They've defeated opponents by 20+ points 14 times this year
>> The Crimson Hawks set a school record with 125 points in its Education Day victory over Geneva (Dec. 18)
>> IUP also leads the PSAC in field goal pct. (46.7), 3-point pct. (37.3), defensive field goal pct. (34.0) and defensive 3-point field goal pect. (26.6), and are second in rebound margin (+5.4),

1ST TEAM ALL-PSAC WEST PICK SMITH PUTTING TOGETHER A CAREER SCORING YEAR
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) was named 1st team All-PSAC West Thursday; She ranks high in the PSAC with 17.7 PPG (5th), a 44.1 3FG% (1st), 2.5 3s per game (2nd), and 47.2 FG% (5th) 
>> She has nine 20-point performances, including two games of 30-plus points
>> 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 hit the 1,000-point milestone at Mansfield (Dec. 9); Her 1,353 career points is 5th in program history - 4. Jan Lightcap (1371), 3. Lindsay Stamp (1498), 2. Cathy Torchia (1722), 1. Jahzinga Tracey (2101)
>> Smith's 495 points is tied for the 7th most in IUP single season history and her 17.7 PPG average is tied for 12th

WOLOSIK ONE OF TOP DISTRIBUTORS IN THE PSAC, EARNED 2ND TEAM ALL-PSAC WEST HONORS
>> R-Jr. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) leads the PSAC with 132 assists and 4.7 assists per game
>> She set a career-high with 10 assists in a 79-61 win over East Stroudsburg (Jan. 10)
>> Wolosik is 2nd in the PSAC and ranks 24th in Division II with a 2.2 assist-turnover ratio

APPLEBY SELECTED TO PSAC WEST 1ST TEAM, INCREASING HER SCORING DOWN THE STRETCH
>> Jr. G Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) is averaging 19.0 PPG over her last five games, including two 20-point outings
>> She did the same a year ago, averaging 19.3 PPG in the last six games of the season, including a 30-point performance in the PSAC Championship win over Cal 
>> Appleby hit the 1,000-point milestone Wednesday and enters today with 1,009 points in three seasons