GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(4/3) IUP Crimson Hawks (17-1, 10-1 PSAC)
at Clarion Golden Eagles (7-11, 1-10 PSAC)
Saturday, January 26, 2019 | 3 p.m.
Clarion, Pa. | Student Recreation Center
*Rankings reflect NABC/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

HOW TO FOLLOW
Stats: ClarionGoldenEagles.com | Stretch Internet
Watch: ClarionGoldenEagles.com | Stretch Internet
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)
Clarion M. Basketball Home Page

COMING UP
Wednesday, January 30 at Seton Hill, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 2 vs. Mercyhurst, 7:30 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 4 IUP men's basketball (17-1, 10-1 PSAC) goes for their fourth straight win this weekend as they travel to Clarion (4-11, 2-9 PSAC). Tipoff Saturday at the Student Recreation Center is 3 p.m. The Crimson Hawks have posted back-to-back blowout divisional wins, including an 81-56 home victory over Cal Wednesday. The Golden Eagles have lost four straight games and are fresh of an 82-77 defeat at the hands of Edinboro this week. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Sr. F Jacobo Diaz scored his 1500th point and Sr. G Dante Lombardi went over 500 career assists in the Crimson Hawks' win over Cal. They each posted double-doubles as IUP won its 12th straight home game. 
>> Diaz finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, his fifth straight double-double, 11th of the season and 40th of his career. Lombardi tallied his second straight with 11 points and 10 assists. 
>> The Crimson Hawks outrebounded the Vulcans 48-31, the +17 margin on the glass was a season-best.
>> It was the 10th game of more than 80 points for IUP, which is averaging 93.7 points over the last three games. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are one of only three teams in Division II to be ranked in the top 5 in each poll this season.
>> This is tied for the best 18-game start under HC Joe Lombardi. IUP opened the 2008-09 season with a 17-1 record in its first 18 games and ended up winning 18 of its first 19. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 5-1 at home this season, its only loss coming at Slippery Rock (74-69). They also have road wins at (RV/18) Fairmont State and East Stroudsburg. 
>> IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 20-4 all-time against Clarion, including 15 straight wins dating back to 2010-11.
>> IUP's last loss in Clarion came on Feb. 7, 2010 as the Golden Eagles prevailed 71-62
>> Diaz averaged 20.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG with a 73.9 FG%, and Lombardi averaged 15.0 PPG and 8.0 APG in two games against Clarion last season. 
 
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
>> Clarion is 4-11 overall and tied with Edinboro for last in the PSAC West with a 2-9 league record. 
>> The Golden Eagles enter the weekend having lost four straight games, including an 82-77 home loss to the Fighting Scots Wednesday. Those four losses have come by an average of 15.3 points. 
>> CU is 4-5 in its temporary home, including a 76-72 overtime win over Seton Hill on January 9. 

CRIMSON HAWKS ONE OF TOP TEAMS IN THE NATION
>> IUP moved up to No. 4 in this week's NABC Top 25 after sitting at No. 5 last week. 
>> The Crimson Hawks sat in the No. 3 spot of the Coaches' poll for six straight weeks prior to the loss at SRU.
>> They are No. 3 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 for the eighth straight week. 
>> IUP is among seven Division II teams with 1 or fewer losses this season. 
>> They opened the year at No. 8 in the coaches and No. 6 in the media preseason polls. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 3-0 against teams ranked in the top 25 - (16/15) Virginia State, 69-67; (11/13) Shippensburg, 88-77; and at (RV/18) Fairmont State, 83-64. 
>> IUP is still No. 1 in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings, picking up five of the six first place votes.  

IUP BOASTS ONE OF TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN DIVISION II
>> IUP has the 11th toughest schedule in Division II with an opponents win percent of .617 (187-116).
>> That leads the Atlantic Region with Saint Augustine's the closest with the 24th toughest (.592) schedule.
>> The Crimson Hawks went 7-0 in their non-conference schedule that included two top 25 teams.
>> IUP's non-conference schedule included six Division II schools that are a combined 66-40 (.623) this season.
>> IUP had an average scoring margin of +17.0 in their seven non-conference games.
>> The Crimson Hawks are a combined 6-1 against teams currently in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region top 10 rankings, with wins over No. 3 Virginia State, No. 4 Fairmont State, No. 5 Shippensburg, No. 7 West Chester, No. 8 East Stroudsburg and No. 10 Concord. 

CRIMSON HAWKS OFF TO ONE OF BEST STARTS IN LOMBARDI ERA
>> At 17-1 the Crimson Hawks are tied for the best 18-game start in 13 years under HC Joe Lombardi. IUP opened the 2009-10 season with 17-1 record and ended up winning 18 of its first 19 games. 
>> The 14 consecutive wins to open the year marked the fourth win streak of at least 14 games under Lombardi. His longest win streak was 18 games during the 2016-17 season. 

LOMBARDI APPROACHING ANOTHER MILESTONE
>> At 292-98 (.749), Coach Lombardi is just 8 wins shy of becoming the 10th coach in PSAC history with 300 wins.
>> Already IUP's all-time victories leader, he's currently 3rd among active PSAC coaches in victories, trailing Kutztown's Bernie Driscoll (318) and East Stroudsburg's Jeff Wilson (309).
>> Lombardi is a combined 17-8 against Driscoll and Wilson in his 13 years at IUP. 

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 14 statistical categories, including 3rd in scoring (19.8 PPG) and 2nd in rebounding (9.7 RPG). His 11 double-doubles lead the PSAC and are tied for 4th in Division II.
>> Diaz has led IUP in scoring seven times this year and has nine different 20-point performances. He scored a season-high 29 points at Slippery Rock and against Westminster, and had 28 at East Stroudsburg.
>> Diaz was named PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice this year (Nov. 12, Nov. 26). 

DANTE LOMBARDI ONE OF TOP POINT GUARDS IN PSAC
>> Sr. G Dante Lombardi was named PSAC West Athlete of the Week after averaging 24.5 points and 8.0 assists in wins over East Stroudsburg and Edinboro. 
>> He's the only player in the PSAC averaging better than 15 points and 5 assists per game. 
>> His 15.8 PPG average is 19th in the PSAC. His 5.8 APG is 2nd in the league and 26th in Division II. 

MALIK MILLER PROVING TO BE VALUABLE BACKCOURT SCORER
>> Jr. G Malik Miller is 2nd on the team and 14th in the PSAC with 17.1 PPG.
>> He has six 20-point games, hitting the mark three times in the last seven games. 
>> Miller is averaging 19.7 PPG against ranked opponents, including 24 points against Virginia State.