GameDay Central
No. 3 IUP Crimson Hawks (23-4, 13-3 PSAC West)
vs. No. 6 West Chester Golden Rams (20-9, 11-5 PSAC East)
Saturday, March 15, 2014 | 12:00 p.m.
Koehler Fieldhouse | East Stroudsburg, Pa.
NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament - First Round
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
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Game Coverage
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AT A GLANCE
The third seeded Crimson Hawks make their sixth straight NCAA tournament
appearance, traveling to host East Stroudsburg to take on Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East foe West Chester in the first round. IUP is coming off a lost to Mercyhurst in the quarterfinal round of the PSAC tournament, while West Chester advanced to the PSAC title game before falling to conference champions East Stroudsburg. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
THE SERIES
IUP holds on to a slight advantage in the all-time series against the Golden Rams, with a record of 11-12. The Crimson Hawks have won three of the last four including a PSAC tournament victory in 2013. West Chester knocked IUP out of the conference
tournament in 2012 before again falling to eventual champion East Stroudsburg in the title game.
LAST TIME OUT
In the last meeting between these two teams, the Crimson Hawks ended West Chester's season, knocking them out of the PSAC tournament to advance to the championship game. IUP hosted the conference action and would eventually go on to claim its ninth PSAC title and third in the last four years. In the team's 92-76 victory, Sr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) led the way with 25 points, four rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal. The Frenchman shot 7-of-9 from the floor and was 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Four
Crimson Hawks finished the game in double figures, including Sr. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) who registered 10 points, three rebounds and one assist while going a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 2-of-2 from three ball range.
FAMILIAR FACE
West Chester will see a familiar face on the other side in So. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown). Last year's PSAC East Freshman of the Year, Norfleet faced the Golden Rams twice while he was at Cheyney, averaging 12.5 ppg with a 45.0 FG%. He also shot 6-10 from three-point range and had 8 assists as the teams split the season series.
MARCEL IN THE NCAAs
Sr. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) has played in seven career NCAA tournament games, averaging 10.6 ppg and 6.3 rpg. His performance last year helped the Crimson Hawks to the Atlantic Region title game and earned him All-Tournament team honors as he averaged 14.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg. He enters this year seventh all-time in IUP NCAA history with a 54.1 FG% (26-48) while also sporting an 88.2 FT% (15-17) and a 43.8 3FG% (7-16).
LOMBARDI'S POSTSEASON SUCCESS
Joe Lombardi has enjoyed quite a bit of success as the head coach at IUP, leading the Crimson Hawks to a 172-69 overall record in his 7-plus seasons. A three-time PSAC champ, Lombardi now has six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances under his belt and a record of 10-5 in the dance. The Crimson Hawks advanced to the Division II championship game in 2010 and to the Atlantic Region title game in 2013 and 2011.
SCOUTING WEST CHESTER
Making their seventh NCAA tournament appearance and first since 2003, the Golden Rams are fresh off of a PSAC championship game appearance. Led by Sr. G Troy Hockaday, who averages 16.8 points per game, West Chester has five players who average double figures. One of the nation's top rebounding teams, the Golden Rams outrebound teams by an average of 5.7 boards per game led by So. F Matt Wiseley's 6.7 per game. Similar to the Crimson Hawks, West Chester is relatively stable on defense,
grabbing 9.4 steals per game, ninth in the country.
