MATCHUP
(8/9) IUP Crimson Hawks at (-/-) Clarion Golden Eagles
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | 5:30 p.m. | Tippin Gymnasium, Clarion, Pa.
*Rankings reflect WBCA/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (24-2, 19-1 PSAC) (PDF) | Clarion (4-23, 2-19 PSAC)

FOLLOW
Watch: ClarionGoldenEagles.com (StretchInternet) | Live Stats: ClarionGoldenEagles.com (StretchInternet) | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Saturday, Feb. 29 vs. Pitt-Johnstown, 5:30 p.m. (Senior Night)
Wednesday, March 4 vs. TBD (PSAC Quarterfinals), 5:30 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 8-ranked IUP women's basketball (24-2, 19-1 PSAC) opens the final week of the regular season with a road trip to Clarion (4-23, 2-19 PSAC) Wednesday night. Tipoff at Tippin Gymnasium is 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks extended their new win streak to three with a 71-44 blowout victory over Seton Hill in Greensburg last weekend. Clarion has dropped six straight games, including a 65-45 home loss to Cal U over the weekend. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Sr. F Lexi Griggs posted her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 2 blocks and 2 steals in Saturday's win at Seton Hill.
>> Already with the No. 1 divisional seed for the conference tournament, Saturday's win wrapped up an outright PSAC West regular season title for the Crimson Hawks. 
>> It's the third straight PSAC West title and fourth in the last six years under HC Tom McConnell. 
>> The No. 1 seed in the West this year gives IUP home court advantage throughout the conference tournament. 
>> IUP will host the winner of the No. 4/5 matchup in the PSAC quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 4. A win in that round would make IUP and the KCAC hosts for the conference semifinals and championship that weekend.
>> The Hawks are looking to sweep the season series with Clarion for the sixth time under McConnell, defeating the Golden Eagles 82-50 at the KCAC on Jan. 25. R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander scored 20 points that night. 
>> McConnell is 12-1 against Clarion, the only loss coming at Tippin (64-59) in January 2017. IUP has won six straight games since by an average of 25.2 points. 
>> IUP is 11-1 on the road this year with a +14.3 scoring margin. The Hawks are limiting opponents to a 31.2 field goal percentage and 52.2 PPG on their own courts. IUP's only road loss came to rival Cal U, 57-52 two weeks ago.
>> The Crimson Hawks are 42-8 in February and March over the last four seasons, including 23-6 in games away from Indiana. IUP won PSAC titles on the road in 2017 and 2019 and back-to-back regional titles in VA and WV. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
>> Clarion is 4-23 overall and last in the divisional standings with a 2-19 overall record.
>> Clarion will be celebrating Senior Night in what will be their final game of the season.
>> The Golden Eagles are 3-9 at Tippin this year, their last win coming Feb. 1 over Seton Hill, 68-66. 
>> Three of their last four losses have come to Gannon, Cal U and Edinboro by an average of 23.3 points. 

IUP NO. 1 IN NCAA ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS
>> The Crimson Hawks debuted at No. 1 in the Atlantic Region when the NCAA released its Division II regional rankings last Wednesday.
>> It's the first of three in-season ranking releases before the Division II field of 64 is announced March 8. 

HAWKS HAVE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE IN PSACs
>> IUP clinched at least a share of the PSAC West regular season crown and the top seed for the PSAC tournament. 
>> The Hawks will have home court advantage with hosting rights for PSAC championship weekend if they advance past the quarterfinal round.
>> This marks IUP's third straight PSAC West title and fourth in the last six years. 
>> The Crimson Hawks have 8 all-time PSAC West titles, second only to Cal U's 9. 

CRIMSON HAWKS UP TO NO. 8 IN THE TOP 25
>> The Crimson Hawks moved up one spot to No. 8 in this week's WBCA Top 25. 
>> IUP has spent the entire season in the top 25 poll, including eight straight weeks in the top-10. 
>> IUP has been ranked in the WBCA Top 25 for 50 straight releases dating back to the 2016-17 season. 

DEFENSE ONE OF BEST IN DIVISION II
>> The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank near the top of Division II in scoring defense (53.4, 7th), field goal percentage defense (.322, 1st), and 3-point percentage defense (.249, 3rd). 
>> IUP is also 2nd in the league and 8th in the country with 5.6 blocks per game. 
>> The Hawks have held opponents under 60 points 20 times in 26 games, including each of the last eight. 
>> Nine times opponents have failed to score 50 points. 
>> In 14 divisional games, IUP has limited opponents to 54.1 PPG, a 31.8 FG% and a 23.9 3FG%, and has tallied 92 blocks (6.6 BPG) and 98 steals (7.0 SPG). 

LEADERS ON THE GLASS
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 12th in Division II with a +10.2 rebounding margin.
>> The Hawks have won or tied the battle of the boards 24 times in 26 games, including 12 times against PSAC West opponents. 
>> They had their widest edge on the glass of the season in the first meeting against Clarion, outrebounding the Golden Eagles 42-18 (+24). 

IUP LOOKING TO REGAIN 3-BALL FORM
>> Even with its recent slump, IUP still leads the PSAC and is 6th in Division II with a 38.9 3FG% this season.
>> After going 23-47 in games against Clarion and Seton Hill, the Hawks have made 33-99 over their last six. 
>> IUP went 11-22 from 3-point range in the first meeting with Clarion. R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander went 6-10 while Sr. G Natalie Myers went 3-7. 
>> IUP boasts two of the top three 3-point shooters in the PSAC - Sr. G Natalie Myers at 45.3 percent and R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander at 41.4 percent. 

MASCARO HEATING UP DOWN THE STRETCH
>> Transfer Jr. G Justina Mascaro is averaging 19.0 PPG with a 57.7 FG% and 6-8 3FGs over the last four games.
>> She posted three straight 20-point performances, including 23 points in back-to-back games against Gannon and Edinboro. 
>> She has a team-high nine 20-point games this year. 
>> Mascaro leads the Crimson Hawks with 15.1 PPG and has shooting percentages of .551/.474/.753. 
>> She's earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors twice and a defensive POW award once.
>> Mascaro's 55.1 FG% is 3rd in the PSAC and 33rd in DII. 
>> She's also 10th in the conference with 29 blocks. 

MYERS AMONG TOP 3-POINT SHOOTERS IN DII
>> Sr. G Natalie Myers enters the week leading the PSAC and ranking 12th in Division II with a 45.3 3FG%. 
>> Her 62 made 3-pointers are 3rd in the league. 
>> Myers is tied for 7th in IUP single season history with those 62 made 3-pointers. Next up is Lacey Claar ('08-09) who is 6th with 64 3-pointers. 
>> Myers has made a 3-pointer in 22 of 26 games.
>> She leads IUP with 7.3 RPG and is 2nd at 12.9 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 32nd in Division II with a 55.2 FG% (122-223). 
>> She has 17 double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 22 points vs. Cal U. 
>> Griggs had her first double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds at Seton Hill. 
>> Griggs is 3rd on the team in scoring (12.5 PPG) and rebounding (5.7 RPG) and leads the Hawks with 62 assists and 40 steals. 

ALEXANDER PROVIDES ANOTHER DEEP THREAT
>> R-Jr. G Courtney Alexander is 3rd in the PSAC and 31st in Division II with a 41.4 3FG%. 
>> She's scored a career-high 20 points three times - at Shippensburg, vs. Clarion and vs. Edinboro. 

FINK HEATING UP DOWN THE STRETCH
>> So. G Rajah Fink is averaging 9.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG with a 49.2 FG% over her last eight 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.