GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (6-4, 3-3 PSAC)
at #10 Fairmont State Fighting Falcons (7-1, 3-1 MEC)
Saturday, December 12, 2015 | 4 p.m.
Joe Retton Arena | Fairmont, W. Va.

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: FightingFalcons.com | Stretch Internet
Live Video: FightingFalcons.com | Stretch Internet
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUPMens_Bball

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks will look to bounce back from a tough road loss as they head to West Virginia to face 10th-ranked Fairmont State at the Joe Retton Arena on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. IUP is at the end of a streak of four consecutive road games, winning a pair last week over Gannon (72-61) and Shippensburg (70-51) before falling to Kutztown (78-76), and are 6-4 overall on the year. Fairmont State enters the matchup with a 7-1 overall record, its only loss to No. 1-ranked West Liberty 88-86 on the road. 

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. 

STORYLINES
• This will be IUP's first trip to the state of West Virginia since capturing the 
Atlantic Region title over West Liberty with a 77-74 victory on March 17 last season.
• The last time these two teams met was in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament, with IUP winning 71-67 in the Memorial Field House. The Crimson Hawks advanced to the program's first national title game that year.
• Fairmont State head coach Jerrod Calhoun has had a successful start to his career, leading the Falcons to three 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances in 2013 and 2015.
• This will be the fifth of nine games against 2015 NCAA tournament teams for the Crimson Hawks. IUP is 3-1 in the previous four games, with wins over University of the Sciences (72-64), American International (77-60) and at Gannon (72-61), and a loss at Mercyhurst (64-57). Fairmont State lost to West Liberty in last year's second round.
• This will be the Crimson Hawks' first regular season game against a ranked opponent in recent history, as IUP's nationally-ranked opponents usually come in the postseason. The Crimson Hawks went 3-1 against ranked opponents in the NCAA tournament last year.
• The Crimson Hawks are one of the top defensive teams in the PSAC, giving up 68.2 points per game, limiting opponents to 70 or fewer points six times.
• Conversely, Fairmont State entered the week ranked sixth in the country and enter the weekend averaging 95.2 points per game, hitting 90 points six times.
• Sr. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) has scored 20 points in each of the last four games, tying a career-high 26 points against three straight opponents - American Int'l, Gannon, & Shippensburg.

BRANDON NORFLEET AMONG TOP SCORERS IN PSAC
Sr. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) is IUP's top scoring threat and statistically all-around best player. He leads IUP in scoring, field goals made, free throws made, free throw percentage, assists, steals and minutes played. He's also second on the team in three-pointers made, three-point percentage and total rebounds. 
• Norfleet has made 21 straight free throw attempts dating back to West Chester (six games) on Nov. 22
• Norfleet set a new career-high of 26 points against American International and tied that mark in each of his  next two games at Gannon and Shippensburg
• Norfleet had a season-high six assists in back-to-back games against American International and Gannon and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds at Shippensburg
• Norfleet has six 20-point scoring games this year, including each of the past four games
• Norfleet has scored 1,225 career points and has 64 double-digit scoring games
• Norfleet is No. 1 in the PSAC and ranks No. 12 in the country in total points (209)
• Norfleet is No. 3 in the PSAC and No. 56 in the country in points per game (20.9)
• Norfleet is No. 1 the PSAC and ranks No. 7 in the country in field goals made (77)
• Norfleet is No. 12 in the PSAC in field goal percentage (.487)
• Norfleet is No. 8 in the PSAC in free throws made (40)
• Norfleet is No. 13 in the PSAC in free throw percentage (.816)
• Norfleet is No. 7 in the PSAC in assists (39)
• Norfleet is No. 11 in the PSAC in assists per game (3.9)
• Norfleet is No. 1 in the PSAC and No. 10 in the country in total minutes played (349)
• Norfleet is No. 8 in the PSAC in minutes per game (34.9)

ANTHONY GLOVER HAS BEEN AN ADDED SCORING THREAT FOR THE CRIMSON HAWKS
So. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) has increased his offensive production over the last three games, reaching double-figures in scoring while averaging 14.7 points per contest. He scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting at Kutztown and went 11-of-15 from beyond the arc in those three games a week ago. Click on above PDF for more information.

IUP HAS FEATURED BALANCED SCORING THIS YEAR
The Crimson Hawks have featured a balanced scoring attack, with their top eight players averaging at least 5.5 points per game, while five average at least 8.3 per contest. Four different players have led IUP in scoring, including Norfleet (seven times), Fr. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) (twice), Cottrell and Glover (once each). 

DANTE LOMBARDI HAS BEEN PSAC WEST's TOP FRESHMAN
Lombardi has been named the PSAC West Freshman of the Week twice this year, receiving honors in consecutive weeks on Nov. 23 and 30. He's second on the team with 30 assists and 17 three-pointers made and is fourth with 9.3 points per game. He has four double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 18 points against Mercyhurst.

JACOBO DIAZ ADDS REBOUNDING DEPTH TO CRIMSON HAWKS
Fr. F Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) has been a welcome addition to the IUP front court in his first season with the team, as he leads the Crimson Hawks with 62 total rebounds and 6.2 rebounds per game. He's grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds twice - in 24 minutes against Bowie State and in 28 minutes against American International. He's led IUP in rebounding four times this season and has grabbed at least seven boards five times.

JOE LOMBARDI BECAME PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH IN VICTORY OVER THE SCIENCES
With IUP's comeback 72-64 win over The Sciences on Nov. 27, HC Joe Lombardi became the IUP men's basketball program's all-time winningest coach, surpassing Gary Edwards' (1996-2006) 206 career victories. In addition to his 210 wins, Lombardi has 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.

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.