Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 14 IUP (11-2, 8-1) vs. Clarion (11-4, 7-2)
Saturday, January 14, 2012 / 7:30 p.m.
Tippin Gymnasium / Clarion, PA

Live Stats - ClarionGoldenEagles.com
Live Audio - RedZoneMedia.com

AT A GLANCE
IUP takes a four game win streak on the road this Saturday when they visit Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West foe Clarion. The Crimson Hawks are an impressive 8-1 in conference play this season, but the Golden Eagles are nipping at their heels in second place with a 7-2 conference record. The winner of this matchup will take control of the Western Division heading into the heart of the conference schedule.

LAST TIME OUT
Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) scored a game-high 24 points as the men's basketball team kicked off Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a 68-58 win over rival Cal Wednesday night.

With the game tied and the Vulcans gaining momentum at the half, the Crimson Hawks leaned on their senior leaders to seize control of the game. Smith and Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) would both splash in seven points in a 16-2 run for IUP over the first seven minutes of the second half to take a commanding 46-32 lead.

Smith finished with a game-high 24 points and was 10-12 from the free throw line, while Sanders chipped in 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jr. C Josh Wiegand (Whiteford, MD/John Carroll) added 8 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, and So. F Kevin Jones (Washington, DC/Bishop O'Connell) had six points and six boards.

The IUP perimeter defense was stifling Wednesday, limiting the Vulcans to just 2-of-12 shooting from three-point territory.

THE HEAD COACH
Joe Lombardi (Youngstown State, '81) is in his sixth season as the head coach of the IUP men's basketball program and is coming off yet another successful season in leading the Crimson Hawks to their second straight PSAC title and to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship game last year.

Lombardi has compiled a record of 104-53 during his tenure with the Crimson Hawks and has the fourth-highest winning percentage in IUP history. Prior to his time with the Crimson Hawks, Lombardi served as an assistant coach at Saint Francis (PA), Lasalle, and the University of Pittsburgh.

NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks have made a major jump to 14th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Men's Basketball Poll. They moved sixth spots from 20th in the polls after winning three straight games to start the new year.

THE ALL-TIME ASSISTS CHART
After tallying assist No. 404 of his career Wednesday, Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) is just two dimes away from passing Yancey Taylor (92-95) for 3rd place on the IUP all-time Assists list, while Mont Mattocks' (66-70) career mark of 450 is the most in program history.

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) is now just one trey shy of breaking Jason Bullock's (92-96) IUP record of 287 career three-pointers made. Sanders stands at 286 3's for his career, and  is averaging over 3 three's per game this season.

INTO THE TOP TEN
Both Smith and Sanders are also making their way up the IUP all-time scoring list. Sanders moved all the way up to 7th on the chart with 1,374 career points after passing IUP greats Garry Lupek (66-69), Jeff Brown (78-82), Randy Allen (71-74) and Sam Scott (77-82). Smith also moved into the top ten when he passed Lupek for 9th place on the list with 1,363 points.

FROM THE FOUL LINE
Smith was a sparkling 10-12 from the free throw line against Cal, and the Crimson Hawks put together their best performance from the line of the season, converting on 22-29 attempts. Fr. G Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) leads the Crimson Hawks in free throw percentage this season at 78.8 (26-33) percent, while Sanders is connecting at a 78.6 (33-42) percent clip.

TOP FROSH
The smallest player on the IUP roster, Chance has had one of the Crimson Hawks biggest contributors this season. He is 3rd on the team in scoring (7.5 ppg) and is 3rd on the team in assists (2.8 apg).

STAT STUFFER
Jr. G Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) has done it all for the Crimson Hawks this season, filling up his individual stat line each night. He 2nd on the team in assists (3.2 apg) and has been excellent on the glass, pulling down 4.3 rpg. Wells also chips in 6.1 ppg and is 3rd on the team with 12 steals this season.

OFF THE BENCH
IUP boasts a trio of players in Chance, Jr. C Danny Ayebo and So. F Kevin Jones (Washington, DC/Bishop O'Connell) who have helped the Crimson Hawks bench to outscore opponents 238-170 this season, including a 25-point output by the bench against Thiel. Jones went for a career-high 17 against Urbana, converting all seven of his shots.

JUST MARCEL
So. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) has flourished in his first year as a starter for the Crimson Hawks, averaging 6.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Souberbielle set a career-high with 10 points against Kutztown and had the go-ahead putback with :04.2 left in the 66-65 win over ESU.

THE BIG MAN
Jr. C Josh Wiegand (Whiteford, MD/John Carroll) has been a force on the glass for IUP this season, grabbing a team-high 4.6 rpg. Wiegand is 6th on the team in scoring (5.6 ppg) and has been excellent at protecting the rim on the defensive end of the floor, recording a team-high 11 blocks.

FROM DOWNTOWN
The Crimson Hawks are the best three-point shooting team in the PSAC this season, making 39.6% of their attempts. Individually, Smith is 3rd in the conference in 3PT% (49.0), while Sanders is right behind in fourth (47.6). IUP makes just under six three's per game as a team.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE
The IUP defense has stifled opponents this year, allowing just 61.8 ppg, which is 2nd in the PSAC. The Crimson Hawks also have the 3rd best scoring margin in the PSAC, winning games by an average of 10.5 points.