IUP Crimson Hawks (1-0) vs. Bowie State Bulldogs (0-2)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Kovalchick Complex | Indiana, PA

Complete Game Notes (.PDF)
Live Stats

AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks look to remain unbeaten on the early season with a win over a tough Bowie State team Wednesday at the Kovalchick Complex. The Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the CIAA North Division and but are coming off a pair of close losses to start the season.

LAST TIME OUT
So. G Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) netted a game-high 18 points and dished 6 assists as the Crimson Hawks opened the 2012-13 campaign with 91-49 rout of Pitt-Greensburg Saturday night. Seven IUP players scored at least 8 points, while Chance, Sr. G Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights), and Jr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) each tallied over five assists.

STAT STUFFER
Keita was extremely impressive in his Crimson Hawks debut Saturday, filling up a number of statistical categories. The transfer from Gonzaga dished a team-high 7 assists and grabbed 8 rebounds, while adding 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor.

DEFENSIVE WINS
The best defensive team in the PSAC a year ago, the Crimson Hawks picked up right where they left off Saturday, limiting Pitt-Greensburg to just 22 first-half points and 27 in the second stanza. The Bobcats shot just 26.4% shooting from the field and coughed up 21 turnovers thanks to the stingy IUP defense.

BLOCK PARTY
Scoring on Jr. C Blake Vedder (Chesterland, OH/West Geauga) will be a tall task for opposing big men all season long, literally. The 7-3 transfer racked up 4 blocks on Saturday and pulled down a game-high 9 boards. Vedder also chipped in 11 points on the offensive end.

PSAC PRESEASON POLL
IUP has been picked to repeat in the PSAC West, garnering 3 first place votes in the annual preseason coaches' poll. Rival Slippery Rock also received 3 first place votes and come in second while Gannon is third and Edinboro came in fourth. Last year's PSAC tournament champion East Stroudsburg was picked to win the East by the coaches, receiving 7 first place votes.

THE HEAD COACH
Joe Lombardi (Youngstown State, '81) enters his seventh season as the head coach of the IUP men's basketball program after leading the Crimson Hawks to a third consecutive PSAC regular season title and an appearance in the NCAA tournament for a fourth straight season in 2011-12. Under the guidance of Lombardi, IUP compiled a record of 104-23 in the last four years, and the Crimson Hawks are just one of three teams in the country to finish ranked in the top 25 nationally in three consecutive seasons.

Prior to his time with the Crimson Hawks, Lombardi served as an assistant coach at Saint Francis (PA), Lasalle, and the University of Pittsburgh.