GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 10 IUP Crimson Hawks (15-2, 10-1 PSAC)
vs. California Vulcans (5-12, 2-9 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: SidearmStats.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Listen: Smartphone | U92 Sports App
Live Updates: Twitter | @IUPMens_Bball

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The 10th-ranked Crimson Hawks look to extend their six-game win streak this Wednesday when they host California at the Kovalchick Complex. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. IUP, the PSAC West leaders, bring a 15-2 overall record and 10-1 league record into this midweek matchup, having not lost in more than a month. The Vulcans, under first year head coach Kent McBride, have won just twice in their last six games and are tied for last in the division with a 2-9 PSAC record. 

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.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 16-6 all-time against California, sweeping last year's season series by a combined score of 147-111 (62-51 at home on Dec. 16)
• The Crimson Hawks have won 20 straight home games against PSAC West teams dating back to their 2014-15 national finalist season; Their last home divisional loss was to Mercyhurst on Dec. 3, 2014 (65-62)
• IUP is 10-2 at home this year, with its only two losses coming to now-No. 8 Shippensburg 87-80, and to No. 2 Fairmont State 91-81 in overtime; Even with those losses, IUP's average margin of victory at home is +7.6
• IUP has given up 70 points just twice during its six-game win steak, allowing 64.7 points during that span
• Wednesday's game features the top two three-point field goal shooting teams in the PSAC, with Cal averaging 26.2 attempts per game, and IUP hoisting just over 25 times per contest; The Vulcans rank second in the league with 9.2 made three-pointers a game
• IUP made a season-high 14 threes against Edinboro, the most since draining 19 vs. Clarion on Feb. 25, 2015

THE CRIMSON HAWKS ARE NEARLY UNBEATABLE AT HOME
In 11 years under HC Joe Lombardi, IUP boasts a 144-28 (.837) record at home, including a 10-2 mark this year. Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks had 18-0 and 16-1 home marks during their 2009-10 and 2014-15 national finalist seasons, and have lost just 14 games in Indiana in the last nine seasons. Since the opening of the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex in 2011-12, the Crimson Hawks have a 78-10 record (.886) in their new arena.

IUP BOASTS BALANCED SCORING WITH FOUR PLAYERS AVERAGE IN DOUBLE-FIGURES
On the strength of four players who average 10 or more points a game, the Crimson Hawks' offense has remained potent. So. F Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) scores a team-best 14.2 per game, whie Jr. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) averages 13.9, So. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) scores 13.3, and Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) has a career-best 10.3 points per game. All eight players in IUP's main rotation have hit double-figures at least twice this year, and five different Crimson Hawks have led the team in scoring. 

CRIMSON HAWKS AMONG TOP FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAMS IN THE NATION
IUP is once again converting consistently from the foul line, ranking second in the PSAC and 19th in the nation at 77.5 percent (248-320). The Crimson Hawks finished a recent four-game hot streak where they made 83.6 percent (61-73) from the charity stripe, including a 20-23 effort at Millersville. Seven players are shooting at least 72.3 percent from the charity stripe, led by Fr. G Malik Miller (Farrell, Pa./Farrell) at 81.5 percent. 

THE IUP DEFENSE STEPPING UP AS DIVISIONAL PLAY GETS ROLLING
IUP is fourth in the PSAC giving up 69.1 points per game, but that number is much lower since the start of its Western Division schedule. Over the last six games - five divisional - the Crimson Hawks are giving up just 64.7 points per contest. 

JACOBO DIAZ NAMED TO WATCH LIST FOR BEVO FRANCIS AWARD, GIVEN TO TOP PLAYER IN DII, DIII, NAIA
Diaz is considered one of the best players in Division II, as he was named to the Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award. The award is given to the top player from Division II, Division III, or the NAIA, with the season's first Watch List made up of 100 players. Diaz is one of two players in the PSAC to average a double-double with team-bests of 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He's second in the league with seven double-doubles, and ranks 10th in the conference with a 52.3 field goal percentage. 

ANTHONY GLOVER COMING OFF HIS BIGGEST WEEK AT IUP
Glover had a team-best 17.0 points per game last week, helping the Crimson Hawks win all three of their games. He scored a career-high 27 points at Millersville on Wednesday, then made the game-winning three-pointer with 6.9 seconds left in the 80-77 comeback win over Edinboro on Saturday. He made three three-pointers in each game, making a combined 50.0 percent from beyond the arc and 10-10 from the foul line. 

DANTE LOMBARDI IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE-POINT THREATS IN THE PSAC
Lombardi has made 42-111 (.378) three-point tries this season, ranking seventh in the PSAC in threes made and eighth with 2.5 made per game. He's on a streak of 22 straight games with a made three-pointer, including a career-best six treys in Saturday's comeback win over Edinboro. Last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, he'll soon best the 48 three-pointers he made in 2015-16. 

DEVON COTTRELL HAS ADDED SCORING TO HIS ARSENAL; IS IUP'S BLOCKED SHOTS KING
Missing all but six games last year due to injury, Cottrell has returned to the lineup as a regular starter to average a career-best 10.3 points per game. His scoring has picked up recently, posting  a career-high 22 points in the win over Gannon, and has dropped at least 17 three more times in the last nine games. Cottrell also broke Darryl Webb's (2007-11) IUP blocked shots record earlier this season, and heads into this week with 175.