GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(W1) IUP Crimson Hawks (23-3, 18-3 PSAC)
vs. (W4) Seton Hill Griffins (19-10, 12-9 PSAC)
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 | 5:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex (4,000)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Stats: IUPAthletics.com | Statbroadcast
Watch: IUPathletics.com/watch | IUP-TV
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)
Seton Hill W. Basketball Home Page

COMING UP
Saturday, March 9 PSAC semifinals (at highest East seed)
Sunday, March 10 PSAC championship (at highest East seed)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Top-seeded IUP women's basketball (23-3, 18-3 PSAC) opens up PSAC tournament play Wednesday with a quarterfinal matchup against fourth-seeded Seton Hill (19-10, 12-9 PSAC). Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is 5:30 p.m. This game is a rematch of the regular season finale won by the Griffins 71-59 in Indiana. The Crimson Hawks earned a first round bye as the top seed in the PSAC West while Seton Hill advanced with an 80-64 first round win over Pitt-Johnstown.

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is making its 22nd all-time PSAC tournament appearance, including 14 straight dating back to 2006.
>> The Crimson Hawks are 27-16 (.628) in the PSAC tournament and 13-8 in the quarterfinal round. They have won four straight PSAC quarterfinal games since 2015, all at the Kovalchick Complex. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are looking for the program's sixth PSAC Championship and second under HC Tom McConnell in the last three seasons. A sixth title would tie Cal U and Shippensburg for the most in league history.
>> This year marked IUP's seventh PSAC West regular season title, including its second straight and third in the last five seasons under McConnell. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 12-2 and averaging 80.1 points per game at home this season. 
>> Each of IUP's 12 home wins have come by at least 15 points. 10 have been by more than 20 points. 
>> IUP and Seton Hill split the regular season series, each winning on the other team's home floor. 
>> The Griffins outshot IUP 41.7 pct. - 40.5 pct. in their regular season meetings, making a combined 19 3-pointers while going 19-20 from the foul line. SHU also owned a 79-64 advantage on the boards in the two games. 
>> McConnell has a 10-3 record against Seton Hill, including a 6-1 mark at the KCAC.
>> A win by IUP would give McConnell 142 with the Crimson Hawks and make him the program's winningest coach.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GRIFFINS
>> Seton Hill is 19-10 overall and the fourth seed in the PSAC West after going 12-9 in the league.
>> The Griffins defeated Pitt-Johnstown 80-64 in a home opening round game to advance to the PSAC quarterfinals.
>> The win Monday was the Griffins' second conference tournament victory as a member of the PSAC. 
>> The Griffins return to the KCAC for the PSAC quarterfinals for the second straight year. They lost to IUP 67-52 in last years second round.
>> SHU has won four straight, including back-to-back games against ranked opponents Cal U and IUP.

CRIMSON HAWKS WON PROGRAM'S SEVENTH PSAC WEST TITLE
>> The Crimson Hawks cllinched the program's seventh PSAC West regular season title with their win at Edinboro coupled with Cal U's loss to Seton Hill last Wednesday.
>> This is IUP's third PSAC West title in the McConnell era, winning in 2015, 2018 and 2019.
>> IUP also won division crowns in 1984, 1999, 2007 and 2008.

CRIMSON HAWKS AT NO. 4 IN NCAA ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS
>> The NCAA released its second set of Division II regional rankings last Wednesday with the Crimson Hawks falling back three spots to No. 4 in the Atlantic. IUP debuted at No. 1 last week. 
>> These rankings determine selection and seeding to the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships in March. 
>> The rankings will have one more in-season update before the field of 64 is released Sunday, March 10. 

IUP IS ONE OF THE TOP SCORING TEAMS IN DIVISION II
>> The Crimson Hawks are 2nd in the PSAC and are ranked 18th in Division II with a scoring average of 77.9 PPG.
>> That scoring average is the highest in the six-year Tom McConnell era.
>> They have scored 80 points 11 times and 90 or more points five times, including two 100-point outings.
>> The 95 points against Alderson Broaddus is the 2nd most by IUP in a season opener (96 vs. Ohio Valley, 2002).
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 6th in the country with a 48.2 FG%. They've converted at least 50 percent from the field 10 times this year, including a season-high 59.3 percent against Clarion.
>> Four players average double-figures in scoring - Appleby 17.3, Wolosik 12.6, Robinson 11.5, Griggs 10.8.

CRIMSON HAWKS USED TO HELPING THEMSELVES
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 5th in Division II in assists per game with 18.4.
>> With 478 assists on 792 made field goals, IUP assists on 60.4 percent of its made buckets. 
>> The Crimson Hawks have 10 games of 20-plus assists, including 23 at Edinboro last Wednesday and a season-high 27 in the opener against Alderson Broaddus.
>> R-Sr. G Lauren Wolosik and Sr. G Carolyn Appleby rank in the top 8 in the PSAC in assists per game. Wolosik is 11th in Division II at 6.2 APG.
>> IUP is 4th in Division II with a 1.39 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Crimson Hawks have less than 10 turnovers three times in their last 10 games and lead the PSAC with just 13.2 turnovers given up per game. 

THE IUP DEFENSE ALSO AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 53.7 points per game. They also rank 5th in FG% defense (.341), 8th in blocks (5.2 BPG), 10th in 3FG% defense (.266), and 19th in steals (10.6 SPG).
>> IUP has held opponents to 50 or fewer points eight 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 13 turnovers in all 26 games, including 11 games of 20-plus. 
>> IUP has faced nine of the top 10 individual scorers in the PSAC, holding them to an average of 6.7 points below their current averages. Ariel Jones (Shippensburg) averages 25.6 points but was held to just 10 on December 8. 

COACH MCCONNELL NEARS LANDMARK VICTORY
>> HC Tom McConnell is tied for the most victories in program history with a 141-37 (.792) record in just his sixth season at IUP.
>> With his next win he'll surpass Jan Kiger for most in program history. Kiger went 141-121 (.538) in her 10 years at IUP from 1986-96. 
>> McConnell passed Sandy Thomas (1996-2003) for 2nd on the list with 123 in the Nov. 28 victory over Cheyney.
>> McConnell's .792 win percentage is 1st in program history, ahead of Cindy Martin's .753 from 2005-08.
>> He averaged 23.6 wins in his previous five seasons at IUP with four straight 20-win campaigns. The 30 wins last year set a program record and he has three of the eight seasons in school history.