GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(A1) IUP Crimson Hawks (29-2, 19-2 PSAC)
vs. (A8) West Chester Golden Rams (22-8, 16-4 PSAC)
Saturday, March 16, 2019 | 5 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex (4,000)

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/HOST INFORMATION
IUP Game Notes (PDF)
West Chester Preview
Glenville State Host Page
NCAA.com Preview

COMING UP
Sunday, March 17 NCAA Atlantic Region semifinals, 7:30 p.m. (with win)
Tuesday, March 19, NCAA Atlantic Region championship, 7 p.m. (with win)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Regional host IUP men's basketball (29-2, 19-2 PSAC) hosts eighth-seed West Chester (22-8, 16-4 PSAC) in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships Saturday evening. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is 5 p.m. The game is the third of the day with the winners advancing to the Sunday's semifinals to face the winner of the Mercyhurst-Fairmont State matchup.

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is making its 16th NCAA tournament appearance and has a 30-15 all-time record.
>> This marks the 9th NCAA tournament appearance under HC Joe Lombardi since 2009. 
>> Lombardi is 17-8 all-time in NCAA tournament games with two regional titles and two national title game appearances. He's 7-1 in opening round games. 
>> This marks the first time since 2010 that IUP earned the No. 1 seed and serve as host of the Atlantic Region Championships. The Crimson Hawks defeated Fairmont State, West Virginia State and West Liberty at the Memorial Field House to win the region and eventually advance to the national title game.
>> As a program IUP is 10-2 all-time in NCAA tournament openers. 
>> This game is a rematch of the PSAC semifinal matchup won by the Crimson Hawks 90-69 at the Kovalchick Complex. IUP is 2-0 against West Chester this year, winning 80-75 on Dec. 18. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 18-1 at home this season, including 3-0 in the postseason.
>> 14 of IUP's 18 home wins have come by double-figures, including seven by more than 20 points.
>> Lombardi is 10-5 lifetime against West Chester with a 6-1 record at home.
>> These teams have squared off once in the NCAA tournament with the Crimson Hawks rallying to defeat West Chester 74-68 in the Atlantic Region first round in 2014.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN RAMS
>> West Chester enters the NCAA tournament with a 22-8 overall record and is the eight seed in the Atlantic Region.
>> The Golden Rams finished 2nd in the PSAC East and advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC tournament.
>> They lost to IUP 90-69 at the Kovalchick Complex in the semifinal round. 
>> West Chester had a 15-game win streak after its loss to IUP in December. WCU then went on to lose its last two regular season games to East Stroudsburg (94-77) and at Shippensburg (91-86). 

CRIMSON HAWKS WIN 10TH PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP, FIRST SINCE 2013
>> IUP won the program's 10th all-time PSAC tournament title with a 56-49 victory over Mercyhurst Sunday.
>> It's the fourth conference title under HC Joe Lombardi, also winning it in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
>> Sr. G Dante Lombardi was named PSAC Tournament MVP after averaging 19.0 PPG with 11 3-pointers in three tournament wins for the Crimson Hawks.
>> IUP is now tied with Millersville for 2nd most titles in PSAC history. Cheyney won 15 with most between the 1960s and early 1980s.

IUP MAKING 9TH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE UNDER LOMBARDI
>> The Crimson Hawks are back in the NCAA tournament for the 9th time under HC Joe Lombardi. 
>> Lombardi and IUP made the dance seven straight years between 2009-15.
>> Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks are 17-8 in NCAA games including a 3-0 mark at home in 2010.
>> The Crimson Hawks are looking for the program's seventh regional title and first since 2015. 

IUP BOASTS ONE OF TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN DIVISION II
>> IUP has the 20th toughest schedule in Division II with an opponents win percent of .573 (464-346).
>> The next toughest schedule amongst those in the Atlantic Region tournament is West Chester at 84th (.542).
>> 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 113-61 (.649) this season.
>> IUP had an average scoring margin of +17.0 in their seven non-conference games.
>> The Crimson Hawks are a combined 7-2 against teams in the Atlantic Region tournament including No. 3 Virginia State (1-0), No. 4 Mercyhurst (2-1), No. 5 Fairmont State (1-0), No. 7 East Stroudsburg (1-0) and No. 8 West Chester (2-0).

CRIMSON HAWKS PUT TOGETHER ONE OF BEST REGULAR SEASONS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
>> IUP finished the regular season with a 26-2 overall record, tying the program record for regular season wins.
>> The Crimson Hawks broke the record during the 2016-17 season with an identical 26-2 record.
>> Other top regular seasons include 25-2 in 2009-10 and 24-1 records in 1992-93 and 1993-94.

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.
>> At 13 seasons and 399 career games, he's the fastest PSAC coach to get to 300 wins. 
>> Already IUP's all-time victories leader, he's currently 3rd among active PSAC coaches in victories, trailing Kutztown's Bernie Driscoll (323) and East Stroudsburg's Jeff Wilson (319).
>> Lombardi is a combined 17-8 against Driscoll and Wilson in his 13 years at IUP. 

THE IUP OFFENSE PUTTING UP ITS BEST NUMBERS UNDER LOMBARDI
>> The Crimson Hawks are 5th in the PSAC with an 80.3 scoring average.
>> Their current scoring clip is the best in 13 seasons under Lombardi. The 2015-16 and 2016-17 teams both averaged 77.7 points. 
>> IUP has 16 80-point games this season, scoring 106 against Westminster and 102 against Edinboro. 
>> IUP's 48.1 FG% is its best since shooting 48.2 percent in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. The Crimson Hawks have shot at least 50 percent in 14 of their 31 games, including a season-best 56.6 percent (30-53) in the PSAC semifinal win over West Chester. 
>> Three players average at least 16 points per game - Diaz (18.6), Lombardi (17.0) and Miller (16.5). 

THREE PLAYERS EARN FIRST TEAM ALL-PSAC WEST HONORS
>> Sr. F Jacobo Diaz, Sr. G Dante Lombardi and Jr. G Malik Miller each landed on the first team as All-PSAC West honors were handed out Thursday afternoon.
>> It's the second time in IUP history that three players have earned first team honors. The only other time was 1994-95 - Derrick Freeman, Robert Misenko and Yancey Taylor. 
>> Cal U was the last PSAC West team to put three players on the first team, achieving that feat in 2003-04.

JACOBO DIAZ NAMED PSAC WEST ATHLETE OF THE YEAR, ONE OF TOP PLAYERS IN DIVISION II
>> Diaz was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year for the second time in his career (2019, 2017).
>> He's the first player in program history to earn the award twice. He's also a three-time first team selection.
>> He also earned 1st team All-Atlantic Region honors for the second time. 
>> He ranks in the top 10 in the PSAC in 13 statistical categories, including 8th in scoring (18.5 PPG) and 2nd in rebounding (9.2 RPG). His 16 double-doubles lead the PSAC and are tied for 9th in Division II.
>> Diaz was named to the top 25 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award, which is given annually to the best player from Division II, Division III, NIAA or the NJCAA.
>> Diaz has led IUP in scoring 11 times this year and has 12 different 20-point performances. He scored a season-high 29 points at Slippery Rock and against Westminster, and had 28 at East Stroudsburg.

DANTE LOMBARDI ONE OF TOP POINT GUARDS IN PSAC
>> Lombardi is IUP's all-time assist leader with 562 career dishes. That number is 7th most among active Division II players and ranks 10th in PSAC history.
>> He has at least 6 assists in 13 games this year, including 12 against UPJ and 10 in back-to-back games against Edinboro and Cal. 
>> Lombardi is the only player in the PSAC and one of three in the Atlantic Region averaging better than 15 points and 5 assists per game. 
>> His 17.0 PPG average is 12th in the PSAC. His 5.3 APG is 2nd in the league and 46th in Division II. 

MALIK MILLER IS A VALUABLE SCORING OPTION
>> Miller has turned himself into a big time scorer as a first year starter, ranking 3rd on the team and 16th in the PSAC with a 16.5 PPG average.
>> Miller has led IUP in scoring a team-best 11 times this year, including a recent run of three straight games against Mercyhurst, Slippery Rock and Gannon.
>> He has 10 20-point games this year, including a career-high 26 points twice - January 2 vs. Gannon and February 27 at Edinboro
>> Miller is 2nd on the team and tied for 11th 13th in the PSAC with 67 made 3-pointers. He hit a season-high 6 in his games against Gannon and Edinboro, and has at least 3 3's in a game 10 times.