IUP women prepare for Cal U in tournament

Tonight at Memorial Field House will be no different.

IUP will play Cal U in the PSAC tournament for the fifth consecutive season. The squads played each other in the conference title game three years in a row and in the first round the last two seasons.

If the history with each other is any indicator, then tonight's game should be another bright chapter in the story of this rivalry.

"That's the nature of the beast," IUP Head Coach Jeff Dow said. "[IUP and Cal U are] two good programs, and quality programs tend to see each other in the postseason. That's what's going to happen."

Cal U defeated IUP five straight times in the regular season until the last meeting between the two teams Feb. 9, where IUP defeated Cal U, 60-57.

IUP, however, has won three of the last four postseason matchups against the Vulcans.

The sole Cal U win was in the first round of last year's conference tournament defeating the Crimson Hawks, 72-49.

"You want to get up for every team you play, whether you're playing Washington Adventist, Mercyhurst or Cal, but there's a little something special for Cal," Dow said.

Last year's postseason matchup was between the No. 2 and 3 seeds and this year is no different, but IUP is No. 2 instead of Cal U, as it was last season.

IUP earned the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West by virtue of its thrashing of Mercyhurst 77-47 Saturday night in Memorial Field House.

With the win, IUP earned the right to host the Vulcans instead of traveling to Cal U.

"Who wouldn't want to play at home," Dow said. "I mean you got the crowd behind you, that's probably worth eight or 10 points right there. I think the crowd came up big when we beat them a few weeks back."

Despite wanting to play in front  of home fans, and thinking it is somewhat advantageous for the Crimson Hawks, Dow said when it comes to Cal U, the intensity is going be the same no matter where the game is played.

"We could play in Zink A and Zink B it doesn't matter where it is it's going to be a tough, physical game," Dow said. "It's a big rivalry."

Against Mercyhurst, IUP used 29 Mercyhurst turnovers to help it post six players in double figures.

IUP scored 34 points off those turnovers.

"I couldn't have scripted it any better," Dow said about the team's performance Saturday.

Forward Sarah Pastorek led the Crimson Hawks with 15 points while going against Mercyhurst's leading scorer, forward Amy Achesinski.

While scoring 15 points, Pastorek held Achesinski to 13 points, below her average of 18 per game, and only three points in the second half.

Pastorek will go from defending  the PSAC's second-leading scorer to the top scorer in the conference in Cal U's forward Kayla Smith. Pastorek and the rest of the Hawks used Saturday against Achesinksi as preparation for Smith tonight.

"It's a great experience," Pastorek said about playing against Achesinski. "She's a really good player. I always look forward to playing against her. I feel she helps me become a better player."

Behind Pastorek in points was Eryn Withers (14), Katelyn Marshall (12) and Lacey Claar, Brianna Johnson and Vianca Tejada (11 each).

The player IUP needed to get hot at this time was Withers, who has been in a bit of a slump as of late. Withers was averaging under double figures during the latter stages of the season, but looked like the potent scorer that she is against Mercyhurst, scoring all of her points in the second half.

"It definitely helps my confidence a lot," Withers said. "My coaches and my teammates just kept encouraging me telling me that the ball will go through and my teammates just kept looking for me and luckily my shots were falling."

"She just needed to see the ball go in the hoop," Dow said of Withers.

 IUP will undoubtedly need Withers to see the ball go in the hoop against Cal U.

If IUP doesn't, it could be a repeat of the first meeting between the two teams this season when Cal U handled IUP 93-59 Jan. 19.

Despite enacting revenge against the Vulcans since then, IUP knows it's only going to get Cal U's very best, which will prove for a very tough game.

"Both teams are going to be well scouted," Dow said. "A lot of times it comes to how many free throws can you get up, how well do you take care of the ball and rebounding and Cal is one of the best rebounding teams in the country."

"To be the best, you got to beat the best and Cal is one of the best and we're looking forward to it," Withers said.