MATCHUP
(5/5) IUP Crimson Hawks vs. (-/-) Bethany Bison
Sunday, December 15 | 4 p.m. | Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex.
*Rankings reflect NABC/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls
PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (7-0, 3-0 PSAC) |
Bethany (0-8, 0-2 PAC)
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COMING UP
Friday, Dec. 20 at Shepherd, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 21 at Shippensburg, 7:30 p.m.
THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 5 IUP men's basketball (7-0, 3-0 PSAC) hosts its final non-conference game of the season with a late Sunday afternoon tilt against Bethany College (0-8, 0-2 PAC). Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is 4 p.m. The Crimson Hawks stretched their season-opening win streak to seven with a 76-63 win at Mansfield Saturday and return home for the first time in two weeks. The Bison, who compete out of Division III's Presidents' Athletic Conference, are coming off an 89-65 loss to Grove City.
TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Crimson Hawks overcame tough competition from an upset-minded Mansfield team, using a late run to take a 10-point lead in the final minutes of the road victory. It was IUP's 8th straight win over Mansfield.
>> R-So. G
Armoni Foster scored 22 points and Sr. G
Malik Miller added 20 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. It's the third time this year IUP had two players score at least 20 points.
>> It was also the fifth double-double of the year by an IUP player (Demogerontas 2, Jones 2).
>> This will be the first meeting between these two programs. It's the second straight year IUP has hosted a Division III team, defeating Westminster 106-77 last year.
>> The Crimson Hawks have won 12 of their last 13 home non-conference matchups, including 11 straight victories dating back to the 2017-18 season. IUP's last home non-league loss came to Virginia State (69-64) in Nov. 2017.
>> Lombardi is 63-17 (.788) all-time in regular season non-PSAC games, including 33-6 since the start of 2012.
>> IUP is 24-2 at home since the start of last season, including a 5-0 mark this year. The Crimson Hawks have a +18 scoring margin in those five wins, including three by more than 20 points.
>> This will be the fourth straight start for Jr. G
Shawndale Jones, who took over over for injured Sr. F
Tommy Demogerontas against East Stroudsburg.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE BISON
>> Bethany is 0-8 overall this year and 0-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference
>> The Bison are 0-5 on the road with four double-digit losses
>> The Bison are led offensively by Dalton Hamrick, who averages 12.3 PPG in 23.6 minutes.
IUP OFF TO ANOTHER UNBEATEN START
>> The Crimson Hawks have won seven straight to start the season. It's the sixth time in the HC
Joe Lombardi era that IUP has opened with seven wins.
>> IUP's best start under Lombardi was 14-0 to open the 2017-18 and 2013-14 seasons.
>> IUP opened the 2009-10 season 11-0 and started two other seasons with 7-0 record.
>> The Crimson Hawks are one of 11 teams in Division II with an unblemished record (as of Dec. 10).
OFFENSIVE ATTACK HAS BEEN DIVERSIFIED
>> The Crimson Hawks boast several players who have proven to be scoring threats with four of the seven games featuring at least four in double-figures.
>> Sr. G
Malik Miller and R-So. G
Armoni Foster each have six games in double-figures, including three 20-point performances.
>> Jr. G
Shawndale Jones has reached double-figures four times - twice off the bench, twice as a starter - while reserves Jr. G
Anthony White and Fr. F
Ethan Porterfield each of two 10+ point outings.
>> Five players have taken turns leading IUP in scoring through seven games, including Foster three times.
>> IUP's 81.7 PPG and 48.6 FG% are currently the best during the Lombardi era.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
>> The Crimson Hawks have turned the ball over fewer than their opponents in all seven games this year and are 5th in the PSAC with a +2.7 turnover margin.
>> IUP had a season-low 7 turnovers in the win over Felician while forcing the Falcons into 22 turnovers.
>> IUP posted season-highs in forced turnovers (27) and steals (10) in the season-opening win over WV Wesleyan.
>> So. G
Dave Morris has a 1.62 assist-turnover ratio and leads the Crimson Hawks with 11 steals.
BEING TOUGH ON THE GLASS
>> The Crimson Hawks have been on the plus side of the rebounding margin six times in seven games this year, including at +14 difference against ESU.
>> IUP is 3rd in the PSAC with a +6.4 rebounding margin, currently the 3rd best mark in the Lombardi era.
>> IUP is averaging 13.0 offensive rebounds per game, including a season-high 19 vs. Concord.
FOSTER STEPPING UP IN YEAR 2
>> R-So. G
Armoni Foster has been IUP's top scorer through the first seven games averaging a team-best 17.0 PPG.
>> Foster has led IUP in scoring three times, has three 20-point games and leads all guards with a 48.9 FG%.
>> He scored a career-high 28 points in the comeback win at Le Moyne, shooting 13-20, and scored 22 of his points in the second half.
>> Last year Foster served as IUP's sixth man, averaging 7.6 PPG in 33 games (8 starts) with 41 3-pointers.
MILLER REACHES 1000-POINT MILESTONE
>> Sr. G
Malik Miller became the 34th player in program history to reach 1000 career points when he hit the milestone in the win at Le Moyne.
>> Miller has 1084 points and an 11.2 PPG average for his career (97 games).
>> He's in his second year as a starter, earning 1st team All-PSAC West honors while scoring 16.4 PPG as a junior last year.
>> Miller was named a preseason player of the year candidate by Wayne Cavaldi of NCAA.com.
NEWBIES CAN BALL
>> Miller was the only returning starter for the Crimson Hawks, who brought in seven newcomers (four transfers, three freshmen) for the 2019-20 season.
>> Three of those newcomers - So. G
Dave Morris, Sr. F
Tommy Demogerontas and Jr. G
Shawndale Jones - have combined for 14 starts (Morris, 7).
>> Morris leads the team with 23 assists, 11 steals and a 94.1 FT%, and is 3rd with 9.6 PPG.
>> Demogerontas led IUP in scoring (16.8 PPG) and rebounding (9.0 RPG) and had two double-doubles before he was lost for the season in game four.
>> Jones has stepped into Tommy's place, averaging 10.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG in three starts.
>> Fr. F
Ethan Porterfield is averaging 19.7 MPG, 5.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG in seven games off the bench. He scored a season-high 14 points vs. ESU and had 12 at Mansfield.
LOMBARDI IS FASTEST PSAC COACH TO 300 WINS
>> Coach Lombardi won his 300th career game February 27 at Edinboro, becoming the 10th coach in PSAC history to reach the 300-win milestone.
>> He did it in his 399 career game, becoming the fastest PSAC coach to get to 300 wins.
>> Already IUP's all-time victories leader at 312, he's currently 3rd among active PSAC coaches in victories, trailing East Stroudsburg's Jeff Wilson (324) and Kutztown's Bernie Driscoll (323).
>> Lombardi is a combined 18-8 against Wilson and Driscoll and Wilson in his 14 years at IUP.
