GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 16 IUP Crimson Hawks (11-2, 6-1 PSAC)
at Slippery Rock "The Rock" (9-4, 5-2 PSAC)
Friday, January 6, 2017 | 7:00 p.m.
Slippery Rock, Pa. | Morrow Field House

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

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The 16th-ranked Crimson Hawks head out on the road for the first time in divisional play as they prepare to battle rival Slippery Rock on Friday night. Tipoff at the Morrow Field House is set for 7 p.m. It's a matchup of the top two teams in the PSAC West, with IUP leading the pack with a 6-1 conference record, while The Rock carries a 5-2 league mark and six-game win streak into the weekend. The Crimson Hawks have won each of each of their last two games, including a 77-72 victory over Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday.

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
• The IUP-Slippery Rock rivalry has been a classic PSAC West matchup, although the Crimson Hawks have owned the series under HC Joe Lombardi; Lombardi has a 19-6 overall record against The Rock since 2008
• Friday's game will be the first away from home for the Crimson Hawks since November 20, a streak of eight straight games (6-2) at the Kovalchick Complex; IUP is 2-0 on the road this season and 53-19 since 2011
• Slippery Rock boasts a 5-0 record at home this season, including a 71-69 win over West Chester in December
• The Rock has won three of the five matchups between these two teams at the Morrow Field House since the 2011-12 season; The average score in those games is 67.0-66.6, with SRU barely outscoring IUP 335-333
• In the Crimson Hawks' two road games this season - wins at Lock Haven and Bloomsburg - they are averaging 68.0 points and shooting 45 percent from the floor
• Slippery Rock leads the PSAC and ranks in the top 15 in Division II in defensive scoring and field goal percentage, but has statistically one of the worst offenses (66.2 ppg) in the league

IUP EMPHASIZES SHARING, ASSISTS UP TO 17.54 PER GAME THIS SEASON
The Crimson Hawks rank fifth in the PSAC and 32nd in Division II with an average of 17.54 assists this season, a mark that is up by nearly three assists per game over last year. Three times they've dished out more than 20 in a game, including a season-high 22 against Bowie State and The Sciences. Four players average at least 2.5 assists per game, with So. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) leading the team - and ranking 11th in the PSAC - with 4.3 dimes per contest. 

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 27th in the nation at 76.6 percent (200-261). However, the Crimson Hawks have made just 66.7 percent of their free throws on the road, goign a combined 14-21 in their two games at Lock Haven and Bloomsburg. Six players are shooting at least 73.5 percent from the charity stripe, led by Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) at 84.8 percent. 

IUP BOASTS BALANCED SCORING WITH FOUR PLAYERS AVERAGE IN DOUBLE-FIGURES
Even after losing All-American scoring champ Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown), the Crimson Hawks' scoring is up so far this year, with four players averaging in double-figures. So. F Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) scores a team-best 15.5 per game, while Jr. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) scores 13.7, Lombardi scores 13.2, and Cottrell has a career-best 11.5 points per game. All eight players in IUP's main rotation have hit double-figures at least once this year, with Diaz and Glover each scoring at least 10 points 11 times. 

JACOBO DIAZ PROVES HIMSELF ONE OF BEST IN THE WEST, NEARLY AVERAGES DOUBLE-DOUBLE PER GAME
Landing on the Preseason All-PSAC West team as voted by the coaches, Diaz is living up to that status as he's nearly averaging a double-double with 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He has six double-doubles this year, including a streak of four in a row, and has four outings with 20 or more points. Able to make shots from inside or outside, he's eighth in the PSAC with a 55.4 field goal percentage (69-122). 

DEVON COTTRELL IS IUP's BLOCKED SHOTS KING, HAS RETURNED TO FORM AFTER INJURY
Missing all but six games last year due to injury, R-Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) has returned to the lineup as a regular starter to average a career-high 11.5 points along with 4.5 rebounds per game this year. His scoring has picked up recently, averaging 17.3 points - including a career-high 22 points against Gannon - over the last three games. Cottrell also broke Darryl Webb's (2007-11) IUP blocked shots record, and heads into this weekend with 173. 

ANTHONY GLOVER COMING ON AS ONE OF THE TOP GUARDS IN THE DIVISION
After learning his way alongside Norfleet last year, Jr. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) has taken on a larger role in is second year at IUP. Glover is second on the team with 13.7 points and 2.8 assists per game, and is among the PSAC leaders with a 46.3 field goal percentage, 38.2 three-point percentage, and 28 made treys.  

DANTE LOMBARDI PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF AFTER FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR SEASON
Last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Lombardi taken over as the starting point guard this season. In addition to ranking 11th in the PSAC in assists, he's scored in double-figures 10 times this year, including a season-high 20 against #2 Fairmont State.

THE CRIMSON HAWKS ARE NEARLY UNBEATABLE AT HOME
In 11 years under HC Joe Lombardi, IUP boasts a record of 143-28 (.836) at home, including a 9-2 mark this year. Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks had 18-0 and 16-1 home records 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 77-10 record (.885) in their new arena.