GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 4/12 IUP Crimson Hawks (21-2, 16-1 PSAC)
at Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats (14-9, 9-8 PSAC)
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.
Johnstown, Pa. | Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center

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

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
The newly minted 4th-ranked Crimson Hawks take their 12-game win streak on the road to face Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks' "magic number" is down to one, as their next win will clinch a PSAC West regular season title. They enter this matchup with a 21-2 overall record, including 16-1 in the league. Pitt-Johnstown sits two spots - and seven games - back of IUP in the standings with a 9-8 conference record, but have dropped three of its last five games. 

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
• A win on Wednesday will clinch a PSAC West regular season title for IUP; It would be the second straight regular season championship, and seventh in the last eight seasons
• IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 9-2 all-time against Pitt-Johnstown, including the 77-72 home victory earlier this season
• The Crimson Hawks have won all nine meetings with UPJ since the Mountain Cats entered the league in 2013; IUP is 3-0 in Johnstown during that span, with an average game score of 85 - 69
• The Crimson Hawks are 8-0 on the road this year, defeating teams by an average score of 73.0 - 61.1
• The Mountain Cats have a 6-4 home record, but have not beaten a team there that has a plus-.500 record
• IUP is averaging 77.5 points and shooting 55.6 percent (114-205) from the field over its last four games; UPJ is 14th in the PSAC in defensive field goal percentage (45.4 pct) and is allowing 76.2 points in its last five games
• UPJ features PSAC West Player of the Year candidate AJ Leahey, who averages 19.1 points per game and ranks ninth in Division II with a 49.2 three-point field goal percentage; Leahey scored 21 in the year's first meeting

IUP BOASTS BALANCED SCORING; FIVE PLAYERS AVERAGE AT LEAST 9.7 POINTS PER GAME
The Crimson Hawks don't have one of the top scoring offenses in the PSAC, but they do boast balance. Five players average at least 9.7 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 14.3 average, while So. G Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) averages 13.8, and Jr. G Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) scores 13.6. Jr. F Blake Danielak (Georgetown, Tex./Liberty Hill) is IUP's highest scorer off the bench, averaging 9.7 points with 11 double-digit scoring games. 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 ranking 9th in the nation at 78.6 percent (313-398). Over the last five games, the Crimson Hawks have hit an impressive 83.3 percent (65-78) from the charity stripe, including a 13-15 performance against Slippery Rock. Lombardi is one of six players shooting over 80.0 percent, leading the team and rankings seventh in the PSAC at 81.9 (68-83) percent.

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 83.3 percent (105-126). 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 88.6 (39-44) conversion rate. 

CRIMSON HAWKS ALSO EFFICIENT FROM BEYOND THE ARC
IUP is hitting 43.3 percent (71-164) from three-point range over its last seven games, including a combined 14-27 last week against Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock. The Crimson Hawks are third in the PSAC with 9.1 made threes per game, and have made at least 10 in a game 10 times. 

DANTE LOMBARDI ONE OF THE TOP THREE-POINT/ASSIST MEN IN THE PSAC
Lombardi is one of only two players in the PSAC with 50 three-pointers and 100 assists this season, ranking eighth in the league with 56 threes and 5.0 assists per game. He has a three-pointer in 28 straight games dating back to last season and has nine games this year of at least six assists, including a career-high 11 at Seton Hill. 

DEVON COTTRELL PUTTING TOGETHER CAREER-BEST PERFORMANCES
R-Sr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) had a career week, averaging 19.5 points and 4.5 blocks per game, while shooting 61.9 percent (13-21) from the field in two games. He posted a career-high seven blocks in IUP's win over Mercyhurst, which also tied a single game program record. Cottrell then tied a career-high 22 points on 7-10 shooting in the Saturday win over Slippery Rock. Already IUP's all-time leader in blocked shots, he enters the week with 194 and is looking to become the eighth player in PSAC history with 200. 

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 has averaged a double-double for all but three games this season, and averages team-bests of 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. He also ranks ninth in the PSAC with a 52.7 field goal percentage. 

COBO's NINE DOUBLE-DOUBLES ARE SECOND IN PSAC, MOST FOR IUP PLAYER SINCE WEBB IN 2010-11
Diaz's nine double-doubles this year are second most in the PSAC behind Shippensburg's Dustin Sleva (13). 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 17 double-figure scoring and 12 double-figure rebounding games.