INDIANA, Pa. – Seniors Jacobo Diaz and Dante Lombardi led five Crimson Hawks in double-figures as No. 8 IUP men's basketball opened its 2018-19 season with a big 83-72 regional win over Concord Friday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
Diaz scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting and made 4-of-6 from the foul line in 37 minutes. He nearly posted a double-double, adding nine rebounds including four on the offensive end.
 
Lombardi scored 22 points on 8-of-17 from the field, draining four 3-pointers while making a pair from the foul line. He added six rebounds and six assists and had just two turnovers in 38 minutes.
 
The Crimson Hawks had to fight off an early offensive onslaught by Concord as the Mountain Lions hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to open the game. They went on to hit 9-of-15 from the floor in the game's first 10 minutes to grab a 25-18 lead.
 
IUP then reeled off 13 straight points, with junior Malik Miller and redshirt freshman Armoni Foster leading the charge splitting the scoring effort. Miller knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and dropped in two from the charity stripe while Foster made a key transition layup and also converted an and-1 during the IUP run.
 
Concord did narrow its deficit to one near the end of the half but Foster and Lombardi knocked down 3-pointers and IUP took a 46-39 lead to the locker room.
 
IUP used a 10-0 run early in the second half to extend its lead to double-digits at 56-41. Concord picked away at that lead, using an 11-4 run to close the gap to 65-60 with 8:32 remaining.
 
The game remained close in the final minutes, as Diaz knocked down a long clutch jumper to give IUP a 79-72 lead with 28 seconds to play. On the ensuing Concord possession, Miller forced All-American Tommy Bolte into a turnover which, resulted in a technical foul on the Mountain Lions coach. Diaz and Lombardi then iced the game with a pair of free throws each.
 
Notes
This is the 12th time in 13 years under head coach Joe Lombardi that IUP has opened the season with a win … This was IUP's first meeting with Concord since picking up a 77-73 win back in November 2002 … In addition to Diaz and Lombardi's 20-point performances, Miller scored 13 points, Foster added 10, and senior forward Willem Brandwijk also finished with 10 points … IUP shot 50.8 percent from the field, including 54.5 percent in the opening half … Bolte led Concord with 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting in 40 minutes … IUP owned a 37-32 rebounding edge … This game was part of the IRMC/Hilton Garden Inn Classic – Pitt-Johnstown upset No. 16 Virginia State 59-58 earlier in the evening.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks will play Virginia State in a top-25 matchup Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Trojans defeated IUP 69-64 in last year's tournament, the first meeting between these two schools. VSU went 25-5 last year and was the top ranked team in the Atlantic Region.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.