MATCHUP
(11/22) IUP Crimson Hawks at (-/-) Shepherd Rams and (-/-) Shippensburg Raiders
Friday & Saturday, December 20-21
*Rankings reflect WBCA/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (8-1, 3-0 PSAC) | Shepherd (8-1, 2-1 PSAC) | Shippensburg (5-4, 2-1 PSAC)

FOLLOW
Friday | Watch: PSAC Network/Stretch Internet | Live Stats: ShepherdRams.com/SIDEARM | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_WBB
Saturday | Watch: PSAC Network/Stretch Internet | Live Stats: ShipRaiders.com/StatBroadcast | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Friday, Jan. 3 vs. Lock Haven, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 6 vs. Mercyhurst, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 at Slippery Rock, 5:30 p.m.

THE WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
No. 11-ranked IUP women's basketball (8-1, 3-0 PSAC) returns to the court for the first time in two weeks with a pair of road games at PSAC East foes Shepherd (8-1, 2-1 PSAC) and Shippensburg (5-4, 2-1 PSAC). The games are Friday and Saturday, respectively, each with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff time. The Crimson Hawks have won six straight games and were last in action Dec. 7 with a 71-38 victory at Mansfield. Shepherd defeated Slippery Rock 89-86 that same weekend while Shippensburg is coming off an 80-66 upset win over No. 9 Cal U. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> The 33-point win at Mansfield was IUP's fourth blowout victory of the year and came off the heels after a 39-point offensive performance in a win at University of DC. 
>> R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander had a breakout game at Mansfield with 18 points and 6 3-pointers, both career-highs. Sr. G Natalie Myers (11 pts, 10 reb) and R-Jr. F Maura D'Anna (13, 12) each had double-doubles. 
>> The Crimson Hawks have held opposing offenses to 50 or fewer points four times in the last six games and rank 4th nationally with 49.1 points allowed per game. 
>> These games will be IUP's fourth and fifth straight on the road as the Crimson Hawks 39 days without a home game. IUP is 3-0 on the road this year and 32-5 in true road games over the last four seasons. 
>> This will be IUP's first matchup against Shepherd as a conference opponent. HC Tom McConnell is 2-1 all-time against Shepherd, last seeing the Rams in the 68-60 loss in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA tournament. 
>> McConnell is 5-0 against Shippensburg, including a 66-32 win in Memorial Field House last December. 
>> IUP has won 11 straight games against PSAC East teams since the start of last year, including a 3-0 mark this season. Its last loss to a cross-divisional foe came to Millersville (89-86, 3OT) in the 2018 PSAC semifinals. 
>> McConnell is 40-5 all-time against PSAC East teams, including 36-3 in regular season play. 
>> IUP has been ranked in 41 straight top 25 releases dating back to the final one of 2016-17. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAMS
>> Shepherd is 8-1 overall and one of four teams in the PSAC East with a division-leading 2-1 league record. 
>> The Rams' only loss of the year came on Nov. 24 at Mercyhurst (84-80). 
>> The Rams are pefect at home this year with a 6-0 record by an average of 5.7 points per game.
>> Shepherd is 2nd in the PSAC in scoring at 79.2 PPG and has two of the top scorers in Marley McLaughlin (20.7) and Abby Beeman (20.1).
>> The Rams also lead Division II in 3FG% at 43.4 pct. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAIDERS
>> Shippensburg is 5-4 overall and one of three teams tied with Shepherd for first with a 2-1 league record. 
>> The Raiders are 4-0 at Heiges Field House compared to just 1-4 on the road.
>> They enter the weekend coming off a huge upset win over No. 9 Cal U (80-66) on Dec. 7.
>> Ariel Jones is 4th in the PSAC with 21.2 PPG, including a 24-point game against Cal U. 

IUP SUCCESSFULLY FACING UPS AND DOWNS
>> IUP lost three of the best players in program history, returning two starters and have worked through various early season struggles albeit with an 8-1 record.
>> IUP's only loss came to No. 22 Glenville State (86-79) at the KCAC on Nov. 15. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are averaging 72.1 PPG this year - down 12 points from this point a year ago - but are among the national leaders in points allowed (49.1), scoring margin (+23.0) and rebound margin (+13.0). 
>> IUP has turned the ball over 16.1 times per game this year and has lost the turnover battle in five games. 

DEFENSE ONE OF BEST IN DIVISION II
>> IUP is again near the top of several defensive categories, ranking 4th in the country in points allowed (49.1) and field goal percentage (.313), 26th in 3FG percentage (.258), and 43rd in blocks per game (4.1). 
>> The Crimson Hawks have held opponents under 60 points eight times and to 50 or fewer points five times, including three games in the 30s. 
>> The University of DC connected on just 20.8 percent from the field, the lowest by an IUP opponent since Ursuline made 20.5 percent in Nov. 2012 (7 years). 

3-BALL AGAIN EFFECTIVE PART OF IUP OFFENSE
>> The Crimson Hawks are 2nd in the PSAC and 15th in Division II with a 39.9 3FG% this season. 
>> Sr. G Natalie Myers is one of the best in the country, ranking 3rd in DII with a 52.3 3FG% and is 4th in the PSAC with 2.56 3s made per game. 
>> Jr. G Justina Mascaro is 11-22 (.500) and R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander is 13-36 (.361). 
>> IUP made a season-high 14 treys in the season-opening win over Davis & Elkins and has shot at least 40.0 percent in five games.

GRIGGS LOOKS TO RETURN THIS WEEKEND
>> Sr. F Lexi Griggs hopes to return this weekend after missing the last two games with an injury. 
>> Griggs leads the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG with three games of at least 17 points.
>> In her most recent action, she scored a season-high 18 points on 8-10 FGs in 28 minutes in the win at Salem. 
>> Griggs is 8th in Division II shooting 63.9 percent from the floor and has converted at least 66.0 percent in five of her seven games.
>> Last year, in her first season as a starter, Griggs was 4th in the team with 10.9 PPG, including a career-high 28 points against Cal U. 

MYERS MAKING LEAP TO DEPENDABLE SCORER
>> Sr. G Natalie Myers is second to Griggs in scoring at 12.8 PPG, posting seven games in double-figures. 
>> She has a pair of 20-point games, including a career-high 26 in the win at Salem Nov. 27. 
>> Myers is one of the top 3-point shooters in Division II, ranking 3rd in the nation with a 52.3 3FG%. 
>> She's also shooting 53.9 percent from the floor, including a 10-16 performance at Salem.
>> Myers leads IUP with 7.1 RPG and has 3 double-doubles this season. 

MASCARO ADDING SCORING PUNCH IN 1ST YEAR
>> Jr. G Justina Mascaro is 3rd on the team with 12.0 PPG and has started all 9 games in her first full year with the team.
>> Mascaro was a mid-year transfer last season after playing 11 games as a sophomore at Delaware.
>> Mascaro played in 36 games with five starts in her time with the Blue Hens and averaged 4.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG with a 41.2 FG%.
>> This year Mascaro is shooting 51.3 percent from the floor, including 11-22 from 3-point range and 15-18 from the foul line.
>> She scored a career-high 21 points against Bloomsburg and had 19 points against WV Wesleyan. 

D'ANNA RETURNS FROM INJURY
>> R-Jr. F Maura D'Anna has made her return after missing all but five games last season due to a lower body injury.
>> In those five games she averaged 9.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG with a 63.3 FG%.
>> This year D'Anna is averaging 6.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG and is 4th in the PSAC with 15 blocks. 

FINK PROVIDING SCORING OFF THE BENCH
>> So. G Rajah Fink has been the Crimson Hawks' top reserve scorer averaging 7.9 PPG in 16.0 MPG off the bench. 
>> She posted a career-high 16 points on 8-12 FGs in 16 minutes against Pitt-Bradford and has 10 points in each of the last two games (DC, Mansfield).