INDIANA, Pa. – Senior forward Jacobo Diaz posted a double-double and the IUP defense put together a dominant performance as the Crimson Hawks won the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men's Basketball Championship with a 56-49 victory over Mercyhurst Sunday at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
It's the 10th conference tournament championship in program history and the fourth for head coach Joe Lombardi.
 
Senior guard Dante Lombardi was named the PSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 19.0 points with 11 3-pointers in IUP's three victories this week. He dished out 10 assists, had 10 rebounds, and went 10-of-14 from the foul line.
 
His tournament was highlighted by a 33-point performance in Saturday's semifinal win over West Chester where he shot 10-of-16 from the floor and made seven 3-pointers.
 
The 49 points allowed marks the third lowest in a PSAC title game since 1961.
 
With the win the Crimson Hawks clinched an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Championships. The NCAA will announce its complete 2019 field of 64 during their selection show Sunday at 10:30 p.m.
 
You can stream the selection show HERE.
 
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