GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 10 IUP Crimson Hawks (17-2, 12-1 PSAC)
at Seton Hill Griffins (8-9, 5-8 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.
Greensburg, Pa. | Salvitti Gymnasium

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats: SidearmStats.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Watch: Westmoreland Sports | westmorelandsports.com
Listen: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
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THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The 10th-ranked Crimson Hawks take an eight-game win streak to Greensburg on Wednesday night to square off against Seton Hill. Tipoff against the Griffins at Salvitti Gymnasium comes at 7:30 p.m. The eight straight wins are a season-best for IUP, which also brings PSAC West-leading 12-1 conference mark into the contest. Seton Hill enters Wednesday night after a road win at Pitt-Johnstown this past weekend, which ended a three-game losing streak for the Griffins. They are fifth in the division with a 5-8 league 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 10-1 all-time against Seton Hill, with a 91-83 road loss in last year's regular season finale snapping his 10-game win streak against the Griffins; IUP is 4-1 in Salvitti Gymnasium under Lombardi
• The Crimson Hawks are a perfect 6-0 on the road this year, outscoring opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game (70.7 - 59.0); IUP is in the midst of its second three-game road swing, earning victories at Slippery Rock, Mercyhurst and Millersville over the course of six days earlier this month
• IUP has given up 70 points just twice during its eight-game win steak, allowing 63.1 points during that span
• A key to IUP's success during its recent run is the three-point shooting, including an average of 11.3 made treys over its last three games; IUP hit a season-high 14 threes in the comeback win over Edinboro
• IUP has forced at least 11 turnovers in each of its last six games (15.2 per game), tying a season-best with 19 forced turnovers last Saturday at Clarion; Seton Hill enters this matchup turning it over an average of 15.6 times
• Seton Hill is fourth in Division II with 5.88 blocks per game; Spencer Casson is second in Division II with 3.88

IUP BOASTS BALANCED SCORING; FIVE PLAYERS AVERAGE AT LEAST 9.0 POINTS PER GAME
The Crimson Hawks don't have one of the top scoring offenses in the PSAC, but it does boast balance. Five players average at least 9.4 points per game, including three who are scoring more than 13. So. F Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) leads the team with a 14.2 average, while Jr. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) scores 13.9 and So. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) averages 13.7. Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) was averaging double-figures until recently, but he is still scoring a career-best 9.8 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, leading the PSAC and 18th in the nation at 78.4 percent (268-342). 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, and are coming off of a 15-16 (.938) performance at Clarion. Glover is shooting a team-best 81.5 percent while Cottrell is hitting at an 81.4 percent clip. 

IUP PERFORMING WELL IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES, SHOOTING 83 PERCENT FROM THE LINE IN THE CLUTCH
Not only are the Crimson Hawks one of the top free throw shooting teams in the nation, but they're even better in the clutch. In the last five minutes of games this season, IUP's free throw shooting skyrockets to 83.1 percent (98-118). Out of the seven players who have attempted a free throw in that time frame, none are converting below 70.0 percent, while Lombardi leads the way with an 87.5 (35-40) conversion rate. 

THE IUP DEFENSE STEPPING UP AS DIVISIONAL PLAY GETS ROLLING
IUP is third in the PSAC giving up 67.9 points per game, but that number is much lower since the start of its Western Division schedule. Over the last eight games - seven divisional - the Crimson Hawks are giving up just 63.1 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 10.3 rebounds per game. He's second in the league with eight double-doubles, and ranks 10th in the conference with a 51.3 field goal percentage. 

COBO's EIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLES ARE SECOND IN PSAC, MOST FOR IUP PLAYER SINCE WEBB IN 2010-11
Diaz's eight double-doubles this year are second most in the PSAC behind Shippensburg's Dustin Sleva (12). They're also the most for an IUP player since Darryl Webb posted 16 during his senior season of 2010-11, when he averaged 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Diaz had a run of four straight double-double performances at the start of the season, and has 15 double-figure scoring and 11 double-figure rebounding games. 

DANTE LOMBARDI IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE-POINT THREATS IN THE PSAC
Lombardi has made 47-123 (.382) three-point tries this season, ranking eighth in the PSAC in threes made and ninth with 2.5 made per game. He's on a streak of 24 straight games with a made three-pointer, including four in Saturday's 22-point performance at Clarion. Last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, he'll soon best the 48 three-pointers he made in 2015-16. 

BRANDON SPAIN TIED FOR SECOND IN THE PSAC WITH 38 STEALS 
Sr. G Brandon Spain (Baltimore, Md./Glen Burnie) is tied for second in the PSAC with 38 steals, averaging a team-best 2.0 swipes per game. He has at least one steal in 17 of his 19 games played, including a current streak of four straight games with at least two. As the Crimson Hawks' sixth man, he averages 23.8 minutes off the bench, meaning he averages one steal every 11.9 minutes on the court (3.4 steals per 40 minutes). 

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 9.8 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 11 games. Cottrell also broke Darryl Webb's (2007-11) IUP blocked shots record earlier this season, and heads into this weekend with 178.