The IUP women’s basketball team is putting final preparations in place for Tuesday’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight matchup against Azusa Pacific.
The game is set for noon at Ohio Dominican’s Alumni Hall in Columbus, Ohio.
IUP (29-3) is seeded third, while Azuza Pacific (28-5) is the No. 6 seed.
The Crimson Hawks advanced to the Elite Eight with a 68-60 victory over PSAC rival Cal (Pa.) in the Atlantic Region Championship on March 18. They have won six games in a row.
The Cougars punched their tickets to the national quarterfinals with a buzzer-beating triumph over Alaska Anchorage.
IUP senior forward Brittany Robinson earned Atlantic Region Tournament Most Valuable Player honors as she averaged 13.0 points and 10.3 rebounds over three games.
Senior guard Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg Central Catholic) averaged 19.3 points, including 24 against Cal, to snag all-regional team recognition.
IUP is in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row and third time overall. The Crimson Hawks advanced to the semifinals last year and were a national quarterfinalist in 1999.
Making its 13th NCAA appearance and fifth straight, IUP is 7-1 in tournament play the past two seasons. The Crimson Hawks are 59-7 overall since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
The winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal game will take on either Southwest Oklahoma or Saint Anselm (N.H.) in the national semifinals Wednesday.
