GameDay Central
No. 7 IUP Crimson Hawks (7-0, 3-0)Â
vs. Millersville Marauders (2-4, 1-2)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013 | 7:30 p.m.
Kovalchick Complex | Indiana, Pa.Â
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
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AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks continue Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play, hosting Millersville in a East-West matchup. IUP comes in on a seven game win-streak, sitting atop the PSAC West. Millersville fell in their last contest at the hands of No. 17 East Stroudsburg. IUP holds the 20-15 series advantage over the Marauders, winning the last three competitions by an average of 16.3 points.
A TALE OF TWO PROGRAMS
Last year was the first time since 2008 that the Marauders qualified for the PSAC tournament. Finishing the 2012-13 season with a 19-11 (14-8) record, they defeated Shippensburg in the first round before falling to West Chester in the quarterfinals. The Crimson Hawks have advanced to postseason play each of the last six seasons, claiming three PSAC titles in the last four years. While the Crimson Hawks have been dominant of late, Millersville sits in second place all-time with 10 PSAC championships. IUP is not far behind, sitting in third place with nine. The last time the Marauders were crowned PSAC champions was in 2007.
THE GAME IN HIS HANDS
With just five seconds to go and overtime looming against Seton Hill,
Sr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) sunk an 18-foot jumper, giving IUP the 56-54 lead and their seventh straight victory. The victory was the narrowest of the season for the Crimson Hawks who have been outscoring opponents by an average of 16.5 points per game. Keita leads the team, averaging 18.3 points per game, shooting .541 from the field and .387 from behind the arc. He's also averaging 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game.
THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME
The team is eagerly awaiting the debut of
So. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) who transferred in from Cheyney following the 2012-13 season. The reigning PSAC Freshman of the Year was academically ineligible for the fall semester, but will look to make his much anticipated debut following the semester's official end. With the Wolves, Norfleet played in 26 games, starting in 23 of those. He averaged 13.6 points per game, shooting .455 from the floor and .421 from behind the arc. He also averaged 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while recording a team-leading 43 steals. Norfleet's presence will add depth to the bench, as
R-So. Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) becomes the sixth man for a bench that is averaging just 7.1 points per game.
HEADED EAST
The Crimson Hawks will pack up and head east, following Wednesday's game against Shippensburg. They'll head to Kutztown Saturday in the team's final game before the Christmas break, before heading to Mansfield and Lock Haven in the first two games of the new year. The team will not return home until Jan. 8, when they host PSAC East rival Bloomsburg. The next six games, all against East opponents, will be the final non-divisional game of the regular season for the Crimson Hawks.
NO THREE FOR YOU
IUP's three-point field goal defense is first in the PSAC, allowing opponents to convert on just 26.2 percent of shots attempted from behind the arc. On the season, the Crimson Hawks have allowed just 37 three-point field goals, for an average of 5.3 per game. Millersville leads the PSAC in three-point field goals made, averaging 9.3 per game, but shooting a meek 29.8 percent.
SCOUTING MILLERSVILLEÂ
The Marauders come in with a 2-4 (1-2) record, falling in their last game to No. 12 East Stroudsburg 96-68. They handed West Chester its only conference loss, defeating the Golden Rams 86-85 Dec. 4. Averaging 73.8 points per game, the Marauders are putting up the points, but failing to stop their opponents, falling in games by an average of just 3.5 per game. They're a three-point threat, averaging a conference-leading 9.3 three pointers per game, but shooting just 29.8 percent from behind the arc. Â
CRIMSON HAWKS BY THE NUMBERSÂ
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2 |
IUP's margin of victory in their last game against Seton Hill. Heading into that game, they had been outscoring opponents by an average of 16.5 points per game. |
|
3 |
The number of PSAC championships the Crimson Hawks have won in the last four years. |
|
5 |
The number of three-pointers the Crimson Hawks have made in their last two games combined. They've shot just .179 from behind the arc in those games. |
|
39 |
The number of conference victories IUP has had over the previous three seasons, tops in the PSAC. |
|
.262 |
What IUP opponents are shooting from behind the arc this season. The Crimson Hawks' defense has held opponents to just 37 three-pointers on 141 attempts, tops in the conference. |
|
1,417 |
The average number of fans in attendance at each of IUP's four home games this season. That mark leads the conference, almost 500 people above second place Gannon. |
|
35.9 |
The average number of minutes played by Jr. G Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter), Sr. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) and Sr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) this season. |
|
4 |
The number of times IUP has opened up the season with seven straight wins. They won 11 straight in 2009-10 and 1995-96, 21 straight in 1994-95 and 26 straight in 1993-94. |
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6 |
The number of losses incurred by IUP's exhibition opponents this season, Michigan State (1) and La Salle (5). The Crimson Hawks dropped both games. |
