Complete Game Notes (PDF) / PSAC Weekly Release

No. 13 IUP (20-4, 17-3) at Lock Haven (0-23, 0-20)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 / 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Fieldhouse / Lock Haven, PA

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Live Video - LHUP.edu

AT A GLANCE
With first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West wrapped up, the Crimson Hawks will look to stay sharp this Wednesday when they travel to Lock Haven. Winless in 2011-12, The Bald Eagles are hoping to halt IUP's momentum and capture their elusive first victory.

LAST TIME OUT
Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School)'s go-ahead three-pointer with just 31 seconds left sealed a thrilling 66-63 win for the Crimson Hawks over PSAC West rival Slippery rock Saturday night. Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) also tallied a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Rock charged back from a nine point deficit at the half to knot the game at 61-61 with 1:01 to play in the second half, but on the next possession Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) found Souberbielle wide open at the top of the arc. Souberbielle drilled the trey without hesitation and sent the crowd of over 3,000 at the Kovalchick Complex into a frenzy.

Souberbielle finished with 13 points and three rebounds, while Sanders chipped in 13 points, four boards and two steals. Smith was 7-15 from the floor and a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line for his game-high 23.

ALL SEALED UP
With their win over Slippery Rock and a loss by Mercyhurst, The Crimson Hawks locked up first place in the PSAC West heading into the final week of the regular season. Cal currently sits in fourth place in the West, but Clarion and Gannon still have outside shots at the playoffs.

NCAA ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS
The first NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings were released last Wednesday as IUP lands just outside the top five in 6th. West Liberty (WV), Shaw (NC), Charleston (WV), Alderson-Braoddus (WV) and Bowie State (MD) make up the top five. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA tournament with the PSAC, WVIAC and CIAA champions earning automatic berths.

NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks jumped up to 13th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Men's Basketball Poll. IUP bumped up four spots from 17th after sweeping a pair of PSAC West games last week. West Liberty (WV) moves into the top spot in the polls for the first time week.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) was named the PSAC West Player of the Week after averaging 24.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in IUP's two victories last week. Smith was 7-of-11 from the field for 25 points against Edinboro, and tallied 23 points, 7 rebounds and a season-high 8 assists in the win over Slippery Rock.

THE ALL-TIME LEADER
At 317 for his career, Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) holds the record for career three-pointers made in IUP history. He passed Jason Bullock (92-96) for first place on the all-time list earlier this season, and  is averaging over three treys per game this year.

THE IUP ASSISTS CHART
Smith is now just 11 dimes away from breaking Mont Mattocks' (66-70) IUP record of 450 career assists. Smith has dished 439 in his career, and is in 2nd place on the all-time list after passing Eddie Peterson (02-06) last week. He is averaging just a shade over three assists per game this season.

INTO THE TOP FIVE
Sanders is now in 5th place on the IUP all-time scoring list with 1,562 career points. Just behind Sanders in 6th place is Smith, who passed Derrick Freeman (1993-96) on Saturday and has 1,558 points. Next on the list is Jack Crossan (1952-56), who is in 4th place with 1564 points for his career. Darryl Webb (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) (2007-11) is IUP's all-time leading scorer with 1949 career points.

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 (3.7 apg) and is 2nd in rebounding, pulling down 4.5 boards per game. Wells also chips in 6.1 ppg and is 2nd on the team with 29 steals this season. He had his best game of the season last Saturday against Mercyhurst, notching a career-high 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE
The Crimson Hawks have been the best defensive team in the PSAC this season, allowing a conference-low 60.8 points per game. IUP has been great at forcing opponents into bad shots, holding them to just 40.2% shooting from the field.

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 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He has also been extremely active on the defensive end, recording 21 steals on the  year.
Souberbielle drilled the go-ahead three with just 31 seconds left to lead the Crimson Hawks over Slippery Rock on Saturday.

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 4.7 rebounds per game. He is 5th on the team in scoring at 5.5 points per game and has recorded a team-high 16 blocks.

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 6th on the team in scoring (5.3 ppg) and is 3rd in assists (2.6 apg).

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 365-338 this season, including a 27-point output by the bench against Lock Haven.

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 120-57 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.