GAME 34 NCAA FINAL FOUR

(2) IUP (30-3) vs (3) Colorado Mesa  (37-1) 
Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 6:00 p.m
Pittsburgh, Pa | UPMC Cooper Field House

Stream: ESPN Plus with Brendan Gulick and Kelly Burke
Radio: U92.5 FM with Jack Benedict and Tony Coccagna

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Indiana (Pa.) women's basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the third time in program history and the first since its back-to-back appearances under Hall of Fame coach Tom McConnell.

The Crimson Hawks will look to advance to the national championship game for the first time, doing so in nearby Pittsburgh.

IUP reached the semifinals despite struggling from 3-point range in its regional final win over Holy Family, shooting just 18 percent from beyond the arc. The Crimson Hawks controlled much of the first half but endured a prolonged drought after halftime, going 0 for 12 from the field in the third quarter and scoring all six of their points at the free-throw line.

Defensively, IUP matched its second-highest steal total of the season, led by Teresa Maggio, who recorded a season-best nine steals.

TIP OFF NOTES
>>IUP's last appearance in the Final Four was in the 2019 season which saw the Crimson Hawks fall in the semifinals with a66-57 loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State
>>IUP's defense proved pivotal in its win over Holy Family, with four players recording multiple steals. Teresa Maggio led the effort with a season-high nine steals as the Crimson Hawks turned in one of their top defensive performances of the season. IUP's total marked its second-highest steal output this year, trailing only a 20-steal effort against Kutztown during PSAC crossover play.
>>This will be the first time in program history that IUP faces Colorado Mesa.
>>In three seasons at IUP, Nyshae Weaver has played in 83 games for the Crimson Hawks. After Monday's game againstWinston-Salem, Weaver has scored in double figures in 72 of those 82 games, an 87% clip.
>>The Crimson Hawks struggled from long range against Holy Family, tying their season low with just two three-pointers in 45minutes. IUP went 2-for-11 (.182) from beyond the arc, marking the third-lowest percentage of the season. The only lower marks came in a 2-for-16 (.125) effort in a loss to California (Pa.) and 3-for-21 (.143) in a win over East Stroudsburg.

COLORADA MESA AT A GLANCE
The Colorado Mesa women's basketball team enters the NCAA Division II Final Four as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions and winners of 34 straight games. The Mavericks earned their spot by defeating Minnesota Duluth 81-59 in the Elite Eight.

The No. 3 seed in the tournament is led by 14th-year head coach Taylor Wagner, who was named RMAC Coach of the Year. CMU had three players honored on the all-conference team, including All-Region selections Olivia Reed Thyne and Mason Rowland.

Reed Thyne has been dominant all season, leading the region with 22.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game while averaging a double-double. She also ranks fourth in Division II in field-goal percentage at 62.8 and set a program record with 751 points in a single season.

Rowland has been a clutch performer, scoring a career-high 35 points and making all 19 of her free throws in CMU's RMAC Tournament championship victory.

SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the two programs.

D2CCA ALL-REGION
Shae Weaver was named PSAC Athlete of the Year and D2CCA All-Region. She ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage and leads the team in scoring, rebounds and assists. Weaver became a member of IUP's 1,000-rebound club on Feb. 21 against Clarion. She is just the third player in program history to reach the milestone.

PSAC WEST COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Craig Carey was named PSAC West Coach of the Year in his fourth season leading the Crimson Hawks. Carey has won 91 games in his first four seasons, including a career-high 29 this year. He guided IUP to a 4-1 record against ranked teams this season and a 16-1 mark at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

TAKING THE COOKIES
IUP's defense sparked its win over Holy Family, as the Crimson Hawks recorded 18 steals—the third-highest total of the season. The team had 21 steals in a win over Kutztown, 19 against Mansfield, and 18 versus D'Youville. Teresa Maggio led the effort with nine steals, setting a program record for steals in an NCAA Tournament game and surpassing Lauren Wolosik's previous mark of six against Clal (Pa.) in 2018.

MORE THAN ELITE
IUP has reached the NCAA Division II Final Four for the third time in program history, with all appearances coming in the last decade. The Crimson Hawks previously advanced to the national semifinals in 2018 and 2019 and are the only program in Division II women's basketball to reach three Final Fours since 2018.