Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 16 IUP (14-3, 11-2) vs. Slippery Rock (12-5, 9-4)
Saturday, January 28, 2012 / 3:00 p.m.
Morrow Field House / Slippery Rock, PA

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AT A GLANCE
The two top defenses in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) will be on display this weekend when the Crimson Hawks look to continue their road success this season against a formidable Slippery Rock squad. IUP is 5-1 on the road this season and at the top of the PSAC West, while the Rock are hoping to continue their march toward the top of the Western Division standings.

LAST TIME OUT
Three Crimson Hawks scored in double-figures as the 16th-ranked IUP men's basketball team rolled to an 82-44 win over Lock Haven Wednesday night.

IUP set the tone from the opening tip Wednesday, racing out to a 16-4 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) drained three three-pointers and Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) chipped in a pair of layups during the run.

The Crimson Hawks extended their lead in the second half thanks to eight points on 2-of-3 shooting from three-point territory for Sanders, and five points from So. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School). Jr. G Terrell Rickard (Waynesboro/Waynesboro) came off the bench in the game's closing minutes and punctuated an outstanding all-around effort by IUP with a thunderous dunk off of a nice dish from Jr. G Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights).

Sanders led the way with 17 points and four rebounds, while Smith finished with 14 points, five boards and four assists. Wells chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, five dimes and a game-high three steals, and Jr. C Danny Ayebo tallied eight points and three rebounds.

NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks have fallen six spots to 16th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Men's Basketball Poll. The Crimson Hawks dropped after splitting a pair of conference games last week.

THE ALL-TIME LEADER
Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) became the first player in IUP history to make over 300 three-pointers in a career Wednesday, and now has 301 total trey's. He passed Jason Bullock (92-96) for first place on the all-time three-pointers made list earlier this season, and  is averaging over 3 long-balls per game this year.

THE IUP ASSISTS CHART
With 414 for his career, Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) is in 3rd place on the IUP all-time assists chart. Smith is just 11 dimes away from passing Eddie Peterson (02-06) for 2nd place on the list, while Mont Mattocks' (66-70) career mark of 450 is the most in program history.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Both Smith and Sanders are also making their way up the IUP all-time scoring list. Sanders is in 7th place on the chart with 1,447 career points, while Smith is right behind in 8th place on the list with 1,425 points. Joe DeLise (50-51, 55-58) is in 6th place with 1510 points for his career, while Darryl Webb (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) (07-11) is IUP's all-time leading scorer with 1949 career points.

TOP FROSH
The smallest player on the IUP roster, Fr. G Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) has made a big impact on the Crimson Hawks this season. He is 3rd on the team in scoring (6.6 ppg) and is 3rd on the team in assists (2.6 apg). Chance also leads the team in steals, averaging 1.6 per game this year.

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 leads the team in assists (3.4 apg) and is 2nd in rebounding, pulling down 4.5 boards per game. Wells also chips in 6.0 ppg and is 3rd on the team with 19 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 306-230 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. The IUP bench was on full display against Lock Haven,
oustcoring the Bald Eagles' bench 27-9.

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 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Souberbielle set a career-high with 10 points against Kutztown and had the go-ahead putback with :04.2 left in a 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, ripping down a team-high 4.6 rebounds per game. Wiegand is 6th on the team in scoring (5.4 ppg) and has been excellent at protecting the rim on the defensive end of the floor, recording a team-high 14 blocks.

FROM DOWNTOWN
The Crimson Hawks are the best three-point shooting team in the PSAC this season, making 38.1% of their attempts. Individually, Sanders is 3rd in the conference in 3PT% (45.8), while Smith is close behind in sixth (43.8). 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 60.8 ppg, which best in the PSAC. The Crimson Hawks have been oustanding at forcing opposing teams into bad shots, holding opponents to just 40.5% shooting from the field.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Crimson Hawks have been excellent at home this season, compiling a 9-2 home record. IUP has only lost once in the brand new Kovalchick complex, with their other home loss coming at the Memorial Field House.