GameDay Central
No. 3 IUP Crimson Hawks (24-4, 13-3 PSAC West)
vs. No. 2 West Liberty Hilltoppers (27-3, 20-2 MEC)
Sunday, March 15, 2014 | 5:00 p.m.
Koehler Fieldhouse | East Stroudsburg, Pa.
NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament - Semifinals
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | U92radio.com
Watch: IUP-TV | NMTVSports.com
Live Stats: NCAA.com | Fan Stats
Tickets: ESUAthletics.com
Game Coverage
NCAA Bracket | NCAA Statistics | NABC Poll | West Chester Preview | NCAA Atlantic Regional Information Hub
Other Links
IUP Schedule | IUP Roster | West Liberty Schedule | West Liberty Roster
AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks advance to the semifinal round of NCAA Atlantic Region tournament to face second seeded West Liberty. IUP defeated West Chester 75-68 in the first round on Saturday morning, led by Sr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep)'s 29 points. The Hilltoppers blew past No. 7 Glenville State, claiming a 88-72 victory. The Crimson Hawks are 24-4 on the season, ranked 15th in the final National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll. West Liberty boasts an impressive 27-3 record and finished in seventh place in the poll.
THE SERIES
IUP holds a slight edge over the Hilltoppers in the all-time series record, 3-2. While IUP holds more overall victories, West Liberty has claimed the last two wins, both coming in the Atlantic Region championship game. IUP defeated West Liberty 84-72 in the regional championship game in 2010 en route to a national championship game appearance. The two previous victories came during the 1996-97 and 1981-82 regular seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
In the last meeting between these two teams, West Liberty claimed an 86-63 victory over the Crimson Hawks in the Atlantic Region Championship game on the Hilltoppers' home court. In that game, Sr. G Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) led the way for IUP scoring 18 points and adding seven rebounds and two steals. Sr. F Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) contributed 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal, playing in all 40 minutes of action. West Liberty shot an outstanding 53.4 percent from the floor, compared to IUP's 36.5 percent. Always a threat from behind the arc, the Hilltoppers connected on 13 three balls, going 13-of-25.
SENIOR LEADERS
M&M are at it again, leading the Crimson Hawks to another impressive victory on the season, edging out Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East rival West Chester 75-68 in the first round of the tournament. Both players enter today's competition averaging 15.6 points per game, with three-point field goal percentages north of 30 percent. Keita leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 5.6 boards per game, is second in assists with 3.7 and boasts an impressive field goal percentage of 49.3. The team's top three-point shooter, Souberbielle connects on 38.0 percent of his shots from behind the arc, and leads the Crimson Hawks with a free throw percentage of 78.6 (minimum 75 attempts). He's shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and adds 39 steals on the season. Both seniors were named first team All-PSAC West.
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 173-69 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 11-5 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 LIBERTY
Always a threat in postseason play, the Hilltoppers are making their sixth NCAA tournament appearance. They're leading the country averaging an astounding 102.9 points per game and shooting 50.0 percent from the floor (13th in the nation). Led by Jr. F C.J. Hester and Sr. G Cedric Harris, the Hilltoppers have been dominant all season long. Harris' 17.6 points and 5.6 assists lead the team while Hester's 8.2 rebounds and 63.3 field goal percentage top the charts for the Hilltoppers. They struggle on defense, however, allowing teams to score an average of 82.2 points, but steal defeating opponents by more than 20 per game.
