GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (4-3, 1-2 PSAC)
at Gannon Golden Knights (2-3, 1-2 PSAC)
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 | 7:30 p.m.
Hammermill Center | Erie, Pa.

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: GannonSports.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Live Video: GannonSports.com | Gannon All-Access
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUPMens_Bball

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks take their two-game win streak to Erie as they battle Gannon on Tuesday night. Tipoff from the Hammermill Center is set for 7:30 p.m. The game is a rematch of the 2015 PSAC Championship, which was won by Gannon by a score of 69-66 on a late three-pointer. IUP will be getting back to conference play after coming off of a weekend sweep of its annual IRMC Classic, defeating University of the Sciences 72-64 and American International 77-60. The Crimson Hawks are now 4-3 overall while Gannon is 2-3. Both teams have identical 1-2 PSAC records. 

The game will be broadcast on WQMU 92.5 FM with the voice of IUP Athletics, Jack Benedict, calling the action. You can also listen on u92radio.com and on the u92radio app on your smartphone. 

TUESDAY NIGHT BEGINS A THREE-GAME ROAD TRIP THIS WEEK
Tuesday's game in Erie marks the first of three road PSAC contest this week for the Crimson Hawks. This coming weekend they'll travel East to play at Shippensburg (4-2) on Friday night and at Kutztown (3-1) on Saturday afternoon. Friday's game against the Raiders will come against IUP HC Joe Lombardi's long-time assistant, Chris Fite, who took over as the head man at Shippensburg in 2013 and has a record of 20-39.

CRIMSON HAWKS AND GANNON HAVE A BUDDING RIVALRY
In the last four seasons, IUP and Gannon have matched up nine times, with the Golden Knights winning five of those matchups. Three of those Gannon wins have come at the Hammermill Center, a place the Crimson Hawks have not won since a 72-65 victory on Dec. 8, 2012. Those three loses in Erie have come by a combined 14 points, including last year's three-point loss in the PSAC title game. 

BRANDON NORFLEET AMONG PSAC SCORING LEADERS
Sr. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) leads the Crimson Hawks and ranks fifth in the PSAC with 19.3 points per game this season. He's led IUP in scoring four times and has reached double-figures in scoring in all seven contests. He's coming off a weekend in which he set a new career-high with 26 points against American International and scored 15 points in just 14 minutes against the Sciences. In two wins over the weekend, he shot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the field and went 11-of-11 from the foul line. Click on above PDF for more information.

NORFLEET CAN ALSO DISH; LEADS IUP AND IS EIGHTH IN PSAC IN ASSISTS
The IUP offense truly runs through Norfleet, as he not only leads the team in scoring, but also in assists. His team-high 27 and 3.9 assists per game is eighth in the conference. He's dished out five dimes in four of the Crimson Hawks' seven games, including a season-high six against American International, and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.2.

DANTE LOMBARDI HAS BEEN PSAC WEST TOP FRESHMAN FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT
Fr. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Week on Monday for the second consecutive week, averaging 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists with zero turnovers in the Crimson Hawks' two weekend wins. He scored 15 points and grabbed six boards against The Sciences while scoring 12 and dishing out six assists against American International. The freshman point guard is second on the team with 11.4 points per game and 24 assists and ranks seventh in the PSAC with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

DEVON COTTRELL IS CLOSING IN ON ALL-TIME PROGRAM RECORD FOR BLOCKED SHOTS
With seven blocks this year, Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) is now up to 151 for his career, 11 shy of tying Darryl Webb (2007-11) for the program record of 162. Cottrell has a block in five of the six games he's played in this year, including a season-high three against West Chester. He's averaging 1.2 blocks per game, 11th in the conference. Click on above PDF for more information.

JACOBO DIAZ ADDS REBOUNDING DEPTH TO CRIMSON HAWKS
Already with a solid rebounder in Cottrell, IUP seems to have added another in Fr. F Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria). Diaz leads the Crimson Hawks with 6.9 rebounds per game, grabbing a season-high 11 twice - in 24 minutes against Bowie State and in 28 minutes against American International. He's led IUP in rebounding three this season and has grabbed at least six boards in five of IUP's seven games.

IUP HAS FEATURED BALANCED SCORING THIS YEAR
The Crimson Hawks have featured a balanced scoring attack, with their top eight players averaging at least 5.9 points per game, while six average at least 7.3 per contest. Four different players have led IUP in scoring, including Norfleet (four times), Lombardi (twice), Cottrell and So. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) (once each). 

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE...THE KOVALCHICK COMPLEX
The Crimson Hawks boast a record of 60-8 at the Kovalchick Complex since its inaugural season of 2011-12, including a victory in the 2013 PSAC Championship game over Slippery Rock. IUP went 17-1 in 2012-13 and 15-1 in 2014-15, and have not lost more than three games in any season on its home court. Click on above PDF for more information.

JOE LOMBARDI BECAME PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH IN VICTORY OVER THE SCIENCES
With last Saturday's 72-64 comeback win over The Sciences, HC Joe Lombardi became the IUP men's basketball program's all-time winningest coach, surpassing Gary Edwards' (1996-2006) 206 career victories. Lombardi has 208 wins and a .722 career winning percentage in his nine-plus seasons, the best in IUP history. He hit the 200-win plateau with IUP's victory over Glenville State in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament. He's the fastest IUP coach to reach the milestone. Click on above PDF for more information.