MATCHUP
(9/9) IUP Crimson Hawks vs. (-/-) Edinboro Fighting Scots
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 | 5:30 p.m. | Kovalchick Complex, Indiana, Pa.
*Rankings reflect WBCA/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (22-2, 17-1 PSAC) (PDF) | Edinboro (14-8, 12-6 PSAC)

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Watch: IUP-TV Sports (Stretch Internet) | Live Stats: IUPstats.com (StatBroadcast) | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Saturday, Feb. 22 at Seton Hill, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Clarion, 5:30 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 9-ranked IUP women's basketball (22-2, 17-1 PSAC) heads into the final two weeks of the regular with another big home divisional matchup against Edinboro (14-8, 12-6) Wednesday. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks bounced back with an important 59-54 victory over Gannon at home Saturday. Edinboro is one of the hottest teams in the conference and is coming off a 77-53 win over Cal U. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Jr. G Justina Mascaro put together her second straight 20-point performance with a game-high 23 in the Crimson Hawks' win over Gannon. She also had a career-high 4 steals. 
>> IUP improved to 8-0 in games following a regular season loss over the last three seasons. 
>> The Hawks swept the season series with 2nd place Gannon and leads by three games with four left to play.
>> A win over Edinboro would give the Crimson Hawks their third straight PSAC West regular season title and the division's top seed and home court advantage in the PSAC tournament. 
>> IUP has seven all-time PSAC West titles, including three under HC Tom McConnell - 2015, 2018, 2019. 
>> The Hawks clinched last year's division title with an 88-60 win at Edinboro in the final week of the season. 
>> IUP is looking for the regular season sweep of Edinboro, defeating the Fighting Scots 66-63 Jan. 15 in Edinboro. Mascaro scored 20 points and blocked the potential game-tying 3-pointer by Michaela Barnes as time expired.
>> McConnell is 11-4 against Edinboro with wins in six straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings. 
>> IUP's only loss to Edinboro in the last six seasons came at home (75-65) during the 2016-17 season.
>> The Crimson Hawks are 12-1 at home this year and 79-8 (.908) over the last six seasons. 
>> This year IUP has a +21.8 scoring margin at the KCAC and is limiting opponents to a 33.4 FG%. 
>> The Hawks lead the PSAC in points allowed (53.0), defensive field goal percentage (.325) and defensive 3-point percentage (.253), and are 2nd in blocks (5.2). IUP has held opponents under 60 points 19 times in 24 games. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIGHTING SCOTS
>> Edinboro is 14-8 overall and in 3rd place in the PSAC West standings with a 12-6 league record.
>> The Fighting Scots are 7-1 since falling to IUP 66-63 Jan. 15. The lone loss came at UPJ 78-71 in OT on Feb. 8.
>> Edinboro is 6-5 on the road this season, including a 4-2 mark against divisional opponents. 
>> Sr. G Michaela Barnes is a player of the year candidate and is coming off her 5th PSAC West Athlete of the Week honor, averaging 29.0 PPG against Clarion and Cal U. 

NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS DEBUT WEDNESDAY
>> The NCAA will release its first set of Division II regional rankings Wednesday, February 19.
>> These rankings determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2020 NCAA Division II Championships in March. 
>> IUP has been ranked No. 1 in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region media poll each of the last five weeks. 

CRIMSON HAWKS DROP TO NO. 9 IN THE RANKINGS
>> The Crimson Hawks moved down five spots to No. 9 in this week's WBCA Top 25 following their loss to Cal U. 
>> IUP has spent the entire season in the top 25 poll, including seven straight weeks in the top-10. 
>> IUP has been ranked in the WBCA Top 25 for 49 straight releases dating back to the 2016-17 season. 

IUP DOMINANT AT HOME
>> Over the last six seasons the Crimson Hawks are 79-8 (.908) playing on their home court. 
>> IUP is 12-1 in the KCAC this season, including 9-0 against PSAC opponents and 6-0 against its division.
>> Opponents have reached 60 points just twice this season inside the KCAC - No. 22 Glenville State (86) and No. 20 Cal U (61). 
>> The program's best home record came in 2017-18, going 16-1, including 11-0 against PSAC teams. 

DEFENSE ONE OF BEST IN DIVISION II
>> The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank near the top of Division II in scoring defense (53.0, 6th), field goal percentage defense (.325, 2nd), and 3-point percentage defense (.252, 5th). 
>> IUP is also 2nd in the league and 8th in the country with 5.2 blocks per game. 
>> The Hawks have held opponents under 60 points 19 times in 24 games, including each of the last seven. 
>> Eight times opponents have failed to score 50 points. 
>> In 12 divisional games, IUP has limited opponents to 53.5 PPG, a 32.3 FG% and a 24.3 3FG%, and has tallied 72 blocks (6.0 BPG) and 82 steals (6.8 SPG). 

LEADERS ON THE GLASS
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in Division II with a +10.7 rebounding margin.
>> The Hawks have won or tied the battle of the boards 23 times in 24 games, including each of the last 11. 
>> They outrebounded Edinboro in the season's first meeting by 8 (42-34). 

IUP LOOKING TO REGAIN 3-BALL FORM
>> Even with its recent slump, IUP still leads the PSAC and is 3rd in Division II with a 40.2 3FG% this season.
>> After going 23-47 in games against Clarion and Seton Hill, the Hawks have made 19-50 over their last four. 
>> Against divisional opponents and in 13 home games IUP is shooting an identical 41.2 percent from long range.
>> IUP boasts the top two 3-point shooters in the PSAC - Sr. G Natalie Myers at 46.8 percent and R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander at 44.2 percent. 

MASCARO COMING OFF BIG WEEK
>> Transfer Jr. G Justina Mascaro averaged 21.5 PPG with a 57.7 FG% against Cal U and Gannon last week.
>> She posted her 7th and 8th 20-point performances of the season. Her 23 points against Gannon were the most since she scored 32 at Shippensburg Dec. 21. 
>> Mascaro leads the Crimson Hawks with 15.0 PPG and has shooting percentages of .549/.481/.787. 
>> She's earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors twice and a defensive POW award once.
>> Mascaro's 54.9 FG% is 3rd in the PSAC and 33rd in DII. 
>> She's also 10th in the conference with 26 blocks. 
>> Mascaro scored 20 points on 8-11 FGs and had 4 blocks in the 66-63 win at Edinboro. 

MYERS AMONG TOP 3-POINT SHOOTERS IN DII
>> Sr. G Natalie Myers enters the week leading the PSAC and ranking 6th in Division II with a 46.8 3FG%. 
>> Her 59 made 3-pointers are 4th in the league. 
>> Myers is tied with Leslie Stapleton ('13-14) for 8th in school history with 59. Next up is Lauren Wolosik ('16-17) who is 7th with 62 3-pointers. 
>> Myers has made a 3-pointer in 20 of 24 games, but is just 2-16 in her last three outings. 
>> She leads IUP with 7.5 RPG and is 2nd at 13.3 PPG. 
>> Myers has four 20-point games and 7 double-doubles.

GRIGGS AMONG TOP SHOOTERS IN THE PSAC
>> Sr. F Lexi Griggs is 2nd in the PSAC and 23rd in Division II with a 56.5 FG% (113-200). 
>> She has 16 double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 22 points vs. Cal U. 
>> Griggs is 3rd on the team in scoring (12.6 PPG) and rebounding (5.4 RPG) and leads the Hawks with 57 assists and 34 steals. 

ALEXANDER PROVIDES ANOTHER DEEP THREAT
>> R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander is 2nd in the PSAC and 15th in Division II with a 44.5 3FG%. 
>> She's averaging 11.0 PPG with a 49.3 3FG% in 12 divisional games, including 20 points and 6 3-pointers against Clarion. 

FINK HEATING UP DOWN THE STRETCH
>> So. G Rajah Fink is averaging 10.5 PPG and 5.3 RPG with a 48.0 FG% over her last six games.
>> She scored a career-high 20 points in 32 minutes off the bench at Mercyhurst and had 16 points in 23 minutes against Slippery Rock.