THE GAME BASICS
Matchup: No. 5 Indiana (Pa.) (18-2, 14-2 PSAC) at Gannon (15-5, 14-3 PSAC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Hammermill Center | Erie, Pa.
Short Story: In consecutive games, the Gannon women's basketball team will face one of the top-four teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. The Lady Knights welcome No. 5 Indiana (Pa.) to the Hammermill Center Saturday evening. The tip is set for 5 p.m. The Lady Knights have won eight of their last nine games entering the matchup. Winning five of their last six, the Crimson Hawks occupy second place in the Western Division with a 14-2 mark in conference play and 18-2 overall record. Both teams are coming off losses to the other top-four teams in the division with the Lady Knights defeated in overtime at Edinboro and the host Crimson Hawks falling hard to California (Pa.).
 
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FREE ADMISSION
Saturday's game begins at 5 p.m. Admission to the single-game against Indiana (Pa.) is free of charge. Doors will open at 4 p.m. The Gannon men's basketball team is on the road at Indiana (Pa.) Saturday. The men's tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
SCOUTING NO. 5 INDIANA (PA.)
- No. 5 Indiana (Pa.) has won five of its last six games to post an 18-2 overall mark and 14-2 record in PSAC action to occupy second place in the Western Division.
- Both of the Crimson Hawks' losses this season have come against divisional opponent California (Pa.). In recent action Wednesday, host IUP dropped a 76-45 loss to the Vulcans, who took over first place in the division with the win.
- The Crimson Hawks are ranked fifth in the latest USA Today Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. IUP has made a climb in the national rankings since the last time Gannon and the Crimson Hawks sqaured off in December. At that point, they were listed among others receiving votes.
- Among PSAC team leaders, Indiana (Pa.) ranks second in scoring offense (77.0) and first in scoring defense (57.4). The Crimson Hawks are outscoring their opponent by a margin of 19.6 points per game to rank first in the conference. IUP sits atop multiple league rankings including field goal percentage (.455), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.274), rebounding defense (32.1), rebounding margin (10.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.29) and assists per game (19.15).
- The Crimson Hawks are led by the PSAC's top scorer Lindsay Stamp, who is averaging 19.7 points per fame. Joining Stamp among the conference's top scorers is Ashley Stoner, who is recording 13.9 points per game. Stamp is also IUP's leading rebounder, averaging 8.7 per game to share sixth in the conference rankings. Recording 5.3 assists per game, Marita Mathe occupies second in the league.
 
SERIES HISTORY
- Indiana (Pa.) holds a 16-15 advantage over Gannon in the all-time series. The Lady Knights have claimed five of the last six games against the Crimson Hawks.
- Winning four of the past five games at the Hammermill Center, the Lady Knights own a 9-6 mark against IUP on home court.
- Earlier in the season, then-No. 25 Gannon dropped a 74-51 loss to host Indiana (Pa.) in PSAC action at the Kovalchick Complex Dec. 6. The loss marked the first for the Lady Knights in conference action this season. The Lady Knights struggled from the floor in the contest, connecting on only 26.5-percent of their shots.
 
GANNON FAST BREAK POINTS
- Gannon currently occupies third in the PSAC Western Division with a 14-3 mark in league play and a 15-5 overall record.
- Among the PSAC leaders, Gannon ranks eighth in scoring offense (68.4) and tied for fourth in scoring defense (61.1). On the glass, the Lady Knights occupy second in rebounding defense (35.2) and sixth in rebounding offense (42.3) for a second-ranked rebounding margin of 7.2.
- The Lady Knights rank second in the PSAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.05), while recording the lowest-total turnovers (290).
- In the conference, junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) is tied for first in assist/turnover ratio (2.8) and ranks third in assists per game (4.7). Berchtold entered the week ranked sixth in assist/turnover ratio among national leaders.
- Among PSAC rebounding leaders, senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) ranks first in both rebounds per game (11.7) and total rebounds (233). In the conference, Blake is first in both offensive rebounds (91) and offensive boards per game (4.6). Entering this week, Blake ranks ninth in offensive rebounds per game and 11th in rebounds per game in the nation.
- Five of the Lady Knights' six final regular-season games will come against Western Division opponents. 
- Dating back to the 2011-12 season, Gannon has won 48 of their last 51 games at the Hammermill Center.
- For the third straight season, the Lady Knights have opened a campaign with nine consecutive home victories.
 
LOOKING BACK
Gannon opened the final month of the regular season with a 55-54 overtime loss to rival Edinboro at the McComb Fieldhouse Feb. 4 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action. The loss ended an eight-game win streak for the Lady Knights. Following back-to-back threes from the Lady Knights to open overtime, the Fighting Scots' scored the final seven points to capture the win. Junior Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) led the Lady Knights' offense with 13 points followed by Blake with 11 points.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Knights will travel to Clarion to face the host Golden Eagles Feb. 11, at the Tippin Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles currently occupy last place in the Western Division with a 1-15 mark in conference action and a 2-19 overall record. All-PSAC selection Hannah Heeter has been out of the lineup since Dec. 16.
 
CONFERENCE HONORS
For the second straight week, Blake was named both the PSAC Western Division Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week Feb. 2, and the Corvias ECAC Division II Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week for the second straight week Feb. 3. She averaged 19 points and 19.5 rebounds, as the Lady Knights swept Slippery Rock and rival Mercyhurst in PSAC Western Division action this past week. Collecting a double-double in each contest, Blake compiled 38 points, 39 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists in 52 combined minutes. Registering 23 rebounds in the Lady Knights' win over Mercyhurst, the senior came within one of tying the program mark (24) set by Mary Kay Lynch in the 1981-1982 season.

NATIONAL HONORS
n addition to garnering conference honors, Blake was also selected the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Division II Women's National Player of the Week Feb. 3. Each Tuesday, the USBWA selects men's and women's Division II National Players of the Week. This is the first season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division II. The USBWA is comprised of 900 members worldwide
 
D2SIDA REGIONAL RANKINGS
Gannon remains in a three-way tie for third place in the latest Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Atlantic Region Media Poll released Feb. 2. The Lady Knights (15-4) are joined by California (Pa.) (17-3) and Livingstone (N.C.) (20-0) in the third spot once again. The top-five teams held their exact spots in consecutive polls. Indiana (Pa.) (18-1) remained atop the regional media poll followed by Bloomsburg (17-2). IUP claimed two of the three first-place votes with California (Pa.) receiving the final vote.
 
AND FOR THE D2SIDA NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Lady Knights are listed among others receiving votes in the latest D2SIDA Division II National Media Poll released Feb. 3. Three NCAA Division II Atlantic Region teams are listed among the top 25 including Indiana (Pa.), Bloomsburg and Livingstone (N.C.). Indiana (Pa.) occupies fifth, while Bloomsburg shares 12th and Livingstone (N.C.) holds a piece of the 15th spot. California (Pa.) and Gannon were listed among others receiving votes.
 
RECORD CHASER
Blake continues to climb her way up the program's all-time list in multiple categories. Among all-time career leaders in program history, Blake ranks third in both most rebounds (951) and most free throw attempts (537), fifth in most free throws made (340), eighth in most points (1,428), ninth in most field goals made (544) and 10th in field goal percentage (.510) and blocked shots (81). Averaging 8.1 rebounds per game in her career, she ranks fifth on the program's all-time list. Appearing in 117 games as a Lady Knight, she is tied for 10th on the career list.
 
FROM OUTSIDE
Senior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) occupies second at Gannon with 271 career three-pointers. Batts needs 29 to break Jacki Windon's school record of 299. In an 82-43 win over Cheyney Dec. 20, she became the 26th Lady Knight in school history to record 1,000-career points. So far, she has compiled 1,071 career points to occupy 21st on the program's all-time list. Appearing in 116 games as a Lady Knight, the senior is tied for 15th on the all-time list.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Dating back to the 2011-12 season, Gannon has won 48 of their last 51 games at the Hammermill Center for a .941 winning percentage. In 41 years at the Hammermill Center, the Lady Knights have posted a record of 365-147 for a win-percentage of .713. The Lady Knights have won 11 consecutive games at the Hammermill Center dating back to last season's regular-season finale against Clarion. For the third straight season, the Lady Knights have captured nine consecutive home victories.