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No. 13 IUP (21-4, 18-3) vs. Gannon (14-11, 12-9)
Saturday, February 25, 2012 / 7:30 p.m.
Kovalchick Complex / Indiana, PA

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AT A GLANCE
With their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) quarterfinal opponent still in doubt, the IUP Crimson Hawks will have one final tune-up opportunity this Saturday when they host Gannon at the Kovalchick Complex. The Golden Knights still have an outside shot at the fourth seed, but will need to defeat IUP and get some help. Prior to Saturday's game, seniors Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate), Dom Lombardi (Indiana/Indiana), Ethan Robinson (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard) and Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) will be honored.

LAST TIME OUT
Sr. G Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) scored a game-high 21 points and Sr. G Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) added 15 as the IUP men's basketball team held on for a 61-53 win at Lock Haven in PSAC West action Wednesday night.

IUP would sprint out to a 12-4 over the final seven minutes of the games thanks to four points for Smith and five points from Sanders. With the game still in doubt late, Sanders drained his third triple of the game to salt away the win for the Crimson Hawks.

Smith was just 6-of-17 from the floor for his 21 points, but went 8-of-13 from the free throw line. Sanders was 6-of-11 from the field for his 15 points, and added a team-high six rebounds. So. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) chipped in eight points and two steals.

ALL SEALED UP
The Crimson Hawks will take the number one seed into the PSAC West tournament on Tuesday against either Cal, Slippery Rock or Gannon. IUP will host the fourth seed in the West at 7:00 p.m. at the Kovalchick Complex.

NCAA ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS
IUP moved up one spot to fifth in this week's NCAA Atlantic Regional poll, while West Liberty (WV), Shaw (NC), Charleston (WV), and West Virginia Wesleyan make up the top four just ahead of the Crimson Hawks. 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 320 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 10 dimes away from breaking Mont Mattocks' (66-70) IUP record of 450 career assists. Smith has dished 440 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
After his 21-point output on Wednesday, Smith has leapfrogged Sanders and Jack Crossan (1952-56) for fourth place on the IUP all-time scoring list with 1,579 points. Sanders sits just behind in 5th place on the list with 1,577 career points after passing Crossan as well. Next on the list is Eddie Peterson (2002-06), who is in 3rd place with 1621 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 (3.6 apg) and is 2nd in rebounding, pulling down 4.4 boards per game. Wells also chips in 6.0 ppg and is 2nd on the team with 30 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 60.4 points per game. IUP has been great at forcing opponents into bad shots, holding them to just 40.4% shooting from the field.

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 376-347 this season, including a 27-point output by the bench against Lock Haven.

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 4.5 rebounds per game. He is 5th on the team in scoring at 5.3 points per game and has recorded a team-high 16 blocks.

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 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He has also been extremely active on the defensive end, recording 23 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.

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 averages 5.3 points per game and is 3rd on the team in assists, dishing 2.6 dimes per contest.

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 121-57 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.