MATCHUP
(3/3) IUP Crimson Hawks at (-/-) Shepherd Rams and (-/25) Shippensburg Raiders
Friday & Saturday, December 20-21
*Rankings reflect NABC/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (8-0, 3-0 PSAC) | Shepherd (5-4, 1-2 PSAC) | Shippensburg (7-2, 3-0 PSAC)

FOLLOW
Friday | Watch: PSAC Network/Stretch Internet | Live Stats: ShepherdRams.com/SIDEARM | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_MBB
Saturday | Watch: PSAC Network/Stretch Internet | Live Stats: ShipRaiders.com/StatBroadcast | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_MBB

COMING UP
Friday, Jan. 3 vs. Lock Haven, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 6 vs. Mercyhurst, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 at Slippery Rock, 7:30 p.m.

THE WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
No. 3 IUP men's basketball (8-0, 3-0 PSAC) finishes out its December schedule with a pair of cross-divisional road games at Shepherd (5-4, 1-2 PSAC) and Shippensburg (7-2, 3-0 PSAC) this weekend. Tipoff for both games are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday night. The Crimson Hawks are coming off a 108-41 victory over Bethany College Sunday while the Rams blew out Wilson College 101-50 and the Raiders fell to Fairmont State 84-72 on the road.

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is coming off its most monstrous game of the Joe Lombardi era with its 108 points and +67 scoring margin the largest numbers in the last 14 seasons.
>> The scoring was divided amongst 10 players with five reaching double-figures, led R-So. G Armoni Foster's 19 points. Sr. G Malik Miller added 17 and So. G Dave Morris dished out a career-high 10 assists. 
>> Foster swept the conference weekly awards, earning PSAC West Athlete and Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for his 19 points and career-high 7 steals. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are off to another undefeated start with their 8 straight wins to open the season the fourth best mark in the Lombardi era. IUP opened last year and the 2013-14 season with 14 victories. 
>> IUP 34-4 (.895) in true road games over the last four seasons including 9 straight wins dating back to last year.
>> IUP is 3-0 all-time in its series with Shepherd, although this will be Lombardi's first matchup with the Rams. Lombardi has an 8-3 lifetime record against Shippensburg, including a 3-2 record against is old assistant and current Raiders HC Chris Fite. 
>> The Crimson Hawks have won 10 straight games over PSAC East teams. Their last loss to a cross-divisional opponent came at home to East Stroudsburg (85-82) during the 2017-18 season. 
>> Lombardi is 70-25 (.737) lifetime against PSAC East teams, including 20-4 (.833) in the last four seasons. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAMS
>> Shepherd is 5-4 overall and 1-2 in league play.
>> The Rams rebounded from three straight losses with home wins over Slippery Rock (83-80, OT) and Wilson College (101-50). 
>> Those three straight losses all came on the road - Shepherd is 4-1 at home this season.
>> The Rams have brought the Mountain East-style to the PSAC as they lead the league with 125 made 3FGs and a 42.4 3FG%. 
>> Three players have at least 20 treys, led by Thomas Lang's 44. He made 11 Sunday against Wilson. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAIDERS
>> Shippensburg is 7-2 overall and is tied with West Chester at the top of the PSAC East standings with a 3-0 league record.
>> The Raiders have won their three cross-divisional games (SRU, Boro, Cal) by an average of 20 points.
>> Shippensburg is 62-5 at home over the last five seasons including a 4-1 mark this year. That loss came to Virginia State (58-54) Nov. 9. 
>> The Raiders are the first ranked opponent for IUP, checking in at No. 25 in the D2SIDA media poll. 

IUP OFF TO ANOTHER UNBEATEN START
>> The Crimson Hawks have won eight straight to start the season. It's the ourth time in the HC Joe Lombardi era that IUP has opened with at least eight straight 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.
>> The Crimson Hawks are one of 6 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 five of the eight games featuring at least four in double-figures.
>> Sr. G Malik Miller and R-So. G Armoni Foster each have seven games in double-figures, including three 20-point performances each.
>> Jr. G Shawndale Jones has reached double-figures five times - three times off the bench - while reserves Jr. G Anthony White and Fr. F Ethan Porterfield each of three 10+ point outings.
>> Five players have taken turns leading IUP in scoring through eight games, including Foster four times.
>> IUP's 85.0 PPG and 49.5 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 eight games this year and are 2nd in the PSAC with a +4.4 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 of 27 forced turnovers vs. WV Wesleyan and had 18 steals against Bethany.

BEING TOUGH ON THE GLASS
>> The Crimson Hawks have been on the plus side of the rebounding margin seven times in eight games this year, including at +24 difference against Bethany.
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 20th in Division II with a +8.6 rebounding margin.
>> IUP is averaging 13.8 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 eight games averaging 17.3 PPG.
>> He was named PSAC West Athlete and Defensive Athlete of the Week after posting 19 points and 7 steals against Bethany. 
>> Foster has led IUP in scoring four times, has three 20-point games and is 11th in the PSAC with a 50.5 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 1101 points and an 11.2 PPG average for his career (98 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.

MORRIS SHOWS ABILITY TO SCORE AND DISH
>> So. G Dave Morris is coming off his most efficient game, scoring 8 points to go along with a career-high 10 assists and just 1 turnover in 29 minutes against Bethany.
>> The point guard has also shown the ability to score with games of 17 points against Felician and 15 points against WV Wesleyan. 
>> Morris leads the team with 33 assists and an 89.5 (17-19) FT%. 

PORTERFIELD EARNS FIRST CAREER START
>> Fr. F Ethan Porterfield stepped into the starting lineup for the first time Sunday, posting 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 23 minutes. 
>> In the four games since the injury to Sr. F Tommy Demogerontas, Porterfield is averaging 24.0 MPG and 11.0 PPG. He averaged 16.3 and 1.5 in the first four games.
>> Porterfield had a season-high 14 points against ESU.