GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(3/3) IUP Crimson Hawks (8-0, 2-0 PSAC)
vs. (11/13) Shippensburg Raiders (8-1, 2-0 PSAC)
Saturday, December 8, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Memorial Field House (2,200)
*Rankings reflect NABC/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

HOW TO FOLLOW
Stats: IUPAthletics.com | Statbroadcast
Watch: IUPathletics.com/watch | IUP-TV
Video App: PSAC Sports Network
Radio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com
Audio App: U92.5 Sports App (Android & iPhone)
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_MBB

GAME PREVIEWS
IUP Game Notes (PDF)
Shippensburg M. Basketball page

COMING UP
Tuesday, December 18 vs. West Chester, 7:30 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 3 IUP men's basketball (8-0, 2-0 PSAC) hosts a top 25 showdown as No. 11 Shippensburg (8-1, 2-1) comes to Indiana Saturday night. The game will be played at the Memorial Field House with tipoff at 7:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks are coming off two tightly contested games as they opened conference play with road victories at Kutztown and Millersville last weekend. Shippensburg dropped its first game of the year, a 74-70 loss at Bowie State Wednesday night. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Crimson Hawks remained undefeated on the year with a 96-87 overtime win at Kutztown and a 74-73 victory at Millersville last weekend. Sr. F Jacobo Diaz averaged a team-best 19.5 PPG.
>> IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 7-3 lifetime against Shippensburg. He's 2-2 against Raiders HC Chris Fite, his former longtime assistant, including two losses during Ship's PSAC championship season of 2016-17. 
>> One of those wins by Fite and the Raiders was a 90-87 overtime victory in the PSAC semifinals at the KCAC.
>> Lombardi is 62-25 (.713) all-time against PSAC East teams, including a 54-21 (.720) mark in the regular season.
>> Since moving to the Kovalchick Complex in 2011, the Crimson Hawks are 5-1 in games played in the Memorial Field House. The only loss came to Bloomsburg 66-64 on a buzzer beater on Dec. 3, 2011. 
>> Lombardi is 66-18 (.786) in games played at the Field House, including an 18-0 season in 2009-10.
>> This will be IUP's second game this season against a ranked oppponent. The Crimson Hawks defeated then-No. 16 Virginia State 69-67 on November 10. 
>> IUP is 6-6 against top 25 opponents since the 2014-15 season.
>> IUP has one more non-conference regular season game, traveling to Fairmont State Friday, December 14. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAIDERS
>> Shippensburg enters the weekend with an 8-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in PSAC play. 
>> The Raiders have been rising in the rankings over the last few weeks, reaching No. 11 (NABC) and No. 13 (D2SIDA) in Tuesday's releases.
>> The Raiders suffered their first loss of the season Wednesday night, falling to Bowie State 74-70 in Maryland. 
>> This will be the Raiders third road game of the season, defeating California (Pa.) 61-58 in a non-conference game on November 25. 
>> Ship is one of the top rebounding teams in the PSAC with a +8.3 margin on the year. Double-double threat John Castello averages 15.7 PPG and a team-best 8.3 RPG. 

CRIMSON HAWKS ONE OF TOP TEAMS IN THE NATION
>> IUP has been ranked No. 3 in both the NABC and D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls for three straight weeks. IUP opened the year at No. 8 in the coaches and No. 6 in the media preseason polls.
>> The Crimson Hawks received all six first place votes in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings for the third straight release. Shippensburg is No. 3 in this week's regional poll.
>> The Crimson Hawks also received national attention from preseason magazines, earning a No. 3 ranking by Street & Smith's and a No. 13 ranking from the Division II Bulletin. 

IUP CARRIES STRONG NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE IN 2018-19
>> IUP put together arguably the strongest non-conference schedule in the Atlantic Region, including Concord and Fairmont State (MEC), then-No. 16 Virginia State and Bowie State (CIAA), USCiences (CACC) and Le Moyne (NE10). 
>> Those teams combined for a 121-60 (.669) record last year with a pair of No. 1 regionally ranked teams.
>> This year they have combined for a 29-10 overall record, including 13-4 by the MEC schools. 

JACOBO DIAZ ONE OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN DIVISION II
>> Sr. F Jacobo Diaz is one of the top players in the PSAC, the Atlantic Region, and in Division II.
>> He ranks in the top 10 in the PSAC in 12 statistical categories, including 5th in scoring (20.8 PPG) and rebounding (8.6 RPG). His 3 double-doubles are 3rd in the conference. 
>> Diaz has led IUP in scoring five times this year and has five different 20-point performances. He scored a season-high 29 points in 31 minutes against West Chester. 
>> Diaz has been named PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice this year (Nov. 12, Nov. 26). 
>> Diaz ranks 3rd among active Division II leaders with 872 career rebounds. His 32 career double-doubles are 4th most among active players. 
>> The 2017 All-American and PSAC West Athlete of the Year was named a preseason All-American this year by Street & Smith's and the Division II Bulletin. 

DANTE LOMBARDI ONE OF TOP POINT GUARDS IN PSAC
>> Sr. G Dante Lombardi is tied for 2nd in the PSAC and is in the top 40 in Division II with 5.6 APG. 
>> He has dished out at least 6 assists four times this season, including a season-high 9 against Westminster.
>> Lombardi has also scored in double-figures six times and has led IUP in scoring twice. He has a pair of 20-point outings, with a season-high 26 points coming in the win at Kutztown. 
>> Lombardi is shooting a career-best 40.7 percent from 3-point range this season. He has a 3 in all eight games this year and 30 of 35 games dating back to last season. 
>> He's the fifth player in IUP history with 1,000 career points and 400 career assists. He enters the weekend with 1,156 points and 442 assists.

MALIK MILLER STEPPING UP IN FIRST YEAR AS A STARTER
>> Jr. G Malik Miller is 2nd on the team with 16.3 PPG in his first year as a starter. 
>> He's one of only two players on the team (Diaz) to reach double-figures in scoring in all eight games this year. He scored a career-high 24 points in the win over No. 16 Virginia State.  

WILLEM BRANDWIJK ADDING PRESENCE IN THE POST
>> Sr. F Willem Brandwijk is averaging 9.9 PPG and 6.3 RPG in his 2nd year with the program. 
>> He's reached double-figures five times, including a season-high 14 points against Westminster. 
>> He leads the team with a 56.9 FG% (29-51) and also has a team-best 6 blocks.