GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(1/5) IUP Crimson Hawks (11-0, 6-0 PSAC)
at Mercyhurst Lakers (6-7, 3-3 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 | 5:30 p.m.
Erie, Pa. | Mercyhurst Athletic Center (1,800)
*Rankings reflect WBCA/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

HOW TO FOLLOW
Stats: HurstAthletics.com | Sidearm Stats
Watch: HurstAthletics.com | Stretch Internet
Video App: PSAC Sports Network
Radio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Audio App: U92.5 Sports App (Android & iPhone)
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

GAME PREVIEWS
IUP Game Notes (PDF)
Mercyhurst Preview

COMING UP
Saturday, January 12 at Slippery Rock, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, January 16 at East Stroudsburg, 6 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 1-ranked IUP women's basketball (11-0, 6-0 PSAC) heads to Erie to square off against Mercyhurst (6-7, 3-3 PSAC) Wednesday night. Tipoff at the MAC is set for 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks are coming off of a 73-45 win over Pitt-Johnstown Saturday, capping a 4-0 homestand against PSAC teams and keep their undefeated record intact. The Lakers enter the matchup winners of their last five games, including an 80-56 home win over Slippery Rock over the weekend.  

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Jr. F Lexi Griggs highlighted the Crimson Hawks' win over Pitt-Johnstown with 17 points and 10 rebounds, posting her second double-double of the season. Sr. G Carolyn Appleby added 16 points. 
>> It was IUP's 10th win of at least 20 points this season, including the fifth over a PSAC opponent. 
>> It was also the seventh time IUP has held an opponent under 50 points and the lowest scoring output of the season for the Mountain Cats. 
>> This marks the first time in program history that IUP will be playing as the No. 1 team in Division II.
>> IUP ascended to the top spot after Union (Tenn.) lost to Lee University 56-51 last week. IUP has held down the No. 2 ranking in the WBCA poll each of the last three weeks.
>> This is the Crimson Hawks' third start of at least 11-0 in the last five years under HC Tom McConnell. IUP opened the 2014-15 season 13-0 and went 15-0 to begin last season.  
>> McConnell is 8-3 against Mercyhurst during his time on the IUP bench, but just 2-3 in Erie. Those losses came in 2013-14 (73-64), 2015-16 (75-55) and 2017-18 (66-61).
>> IUP's last win at the MAC came on Jan. 9, 2017 overcoming 18 turnovers for a 64-54 victory. Both teams entered that game with 8-0 PSAC records while the Crimson Hawks were on a 10-game win streak. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAKERS
>> Mercyhurst is 6-7 overall and tied for 5th in the PSAC West with a 3-3 league record. 
>> The Lakers have rebounded from a 1-7 start to win their last five games by an average of 14.8 PPG. 
>> They are 5-1 at home this year, with the only loss coming to Bloomsburg (70-51) on Dec. 8. 
>> Leading scorer Maria Lapertosa (14.2 PPG) hasn't played since the Bloomsburg game, but Amber Renz has stepped up averaging a team-best 14.8 points off the bench during that span. She had 29 in 20 minutes in Saturday's win over Slippery Rock. 

CRIMSON HAWKS RANKED NO. 1 IN WBCA TOP 25
>> For the first time in program history, the Crimson Hawks are the No. 1 team in the WBCA Coaches' Top 25. 
>> They moved up after spending three straight weeks at the No. 2 spot. Union (Tenn.), the former top-ranked team, fell to Lee University 56-51 last Thursday night paving the way for the Crimson Hawks. 
>> IUP was ranked No. 5 in the WBCA preseason poll, moving up to No. 3 on Nov. 27 and staying there for two weeks before its No. 2 ranking on Dec. 11. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are ranked No. 5 in this week's D2SIDA Media Top 25, moving up from No. 6 last week. 
>> They are also the No. 1 ranked team in the media's Atlantic Region poll, garnering all six first place votes. 

IUP IS ONE OF THE TOP SCORING TEAMS IN DIVISION II
>> The Crimson Hawks are tied for the PSAC lead and ranked 8th in Division II with a scoring average of 81.5 PPG.
>> They have scored 80 points five times this year, including two 100-point outings.
>> Those 100-point games - 101 vs. Ohio Valley and 100 vs. Cheyney - are the 14th and 15th 100-point performances in program history. 
>> The 95 points against Alderson Broaddus is the 2nd most by IUP in a season opener (96 vs. Ohio Valley, 2002).
>> Four players average double-figures in scoring (Appleby 16.9, Robinson 10.9, Griggs 10.4, Wolosik 10.0) while all 13 who see the court average better than 2.0 points.

THE IUP DEFENSE ALSO AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
>> IUP leads Division II in scoring defense (47.5), is 2nd in turnovers forced (21.73) and FG% defense (.322), 3rd in 3FG% defense (.226), and 12th in steals per game (12.0).
>> IUP has held opponents to 50 or fewer points seven times, including a season-low 32 points to Shippensburg. That's tied for the 10th fewest allowed in program history and the least given up since the 2011-12 season.
>> IUP has forced at least 14 turnovers in all 11 games, including eight games of 20-plus. 
>> IUP held the PSACs leading scorer Ariel Jones (Shippensburg) to 10 points and 4-14 FGs. She's averaging 25.7 PPG through 14 games this season. 

CAROLYN APPLEBY IS IUP'S TOP SCORING THREAT
>> Sr. G Carolyn Appleby leads the team and is 11th in the PSAC in scoring at 16.9 PPG. 
>> She has 10 straight double-digit scoring games, including four 20-point outings, and has led the Crimson Hawks in scoring six times. 
>> Appleby is averaging 18.5 PPG against PSAC teams, including a season-high 23 against West Chester.

LAUREN WOLOSIK LOOKING FOR 1000-POINT MILESTONE
>> R-Sr. G Lauren Wolosik enters the Mercyhurst game just 6 points shy of hitting the career 1,000-point milestone. 
>> She has scored 994 points in her collegiate career with the Crimson Hawks (192 at S. Connecticut State, 2013-15; and 802 at IUP, 2015-pres)
>> Wolosik missed five games this season due to injury, returning last Wednesday against Gannon.
>> In her two games since returning, she's averaging 7.0 PPG with 15 assists and 11 steals. 

BRITTANY ROBINSON CONTRIBUTES ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR
>> Sr. F Brittany Robinson is 3rd in IUP history with 138 career blocks, including a team-high 9 this year. 
>> She's 2nd on the team in scoring at 10.9 PPG, with three games of at least 18 points.
>> Robinson's 57.0 career FG% is the best mark in program history. She's shooting 58.4 pct. this season. 
 
LEXI GRIGGS PROVING VALUABLE IN HER FIRST YEAR AS A STARTER
>> Jr. F Lexi Griggs is 3rd on the team in scoring (10.4 PPG), 2nd in rebounding (6.4 RPG) and 3rd in assists (30).
>> She also leads the team with a 58.6 FG% (51-87) and is 2nd with 8 blocks. 
>> Griggs posted her 2nd double-double of the season Saturday with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also had 15 points and 10 boards in the season-opener against Alderson Broaddus.