GAMEDAY CENTRAL
(W1) IUP Crimson Hawks (27-2, 19-2 PSAC)
vs. (E2) West Chester (22-7, 16-4 PSAC)
Saturday, March 6, 2019 | 3:30 p.m.
Indiana, Pa. | Kovalchick Complex (4,000)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Stats: IUPAthletics.com | Statbroadcast
Watch: StretchInternet.com | 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
IUP Host Page
PSAC Sports Championship Page

COMING UP
Sunday, March 10 PSAC Championship, 3 p.m. (with win)
Sat.-Tue., March 16-19 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Top-seeded IUP men's basketball (27-2, 19-2 PSAC) will host West Chester (22-7, 16-4 PSAC) in the semifinals of the 2019 PSAC Championships Saturday at the Kovalchick Complex. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. With its division title in hand, IUP is serving as the host of PSAC Championship Weekend. The Crimson Hawks advanced with a 76-68 win over Pitt-Johnstown in Wednesday's quarterfinal. The Golden Rams overcame a recent two-game slide with an 89-72 home win over Shippensburg in their quarterfinal game. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is making its 34th all-time PSAC tournament apperance and 12th straight since 2008.
>> IUP is 37-24 (.607) all-time in PSAC tournament games dating back to 1960. The program has won nine conference tournament championships, including three under HC Joe Lombardi (2010, 2011, 2013).
>> The Crimson Hawks are the PSAC West regular season champions for the fourth straight time and ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
>> IUP is the only program in PSAC history to win four straight outright regular season division titles. The program has done it twice - 2010-13 and 2016-19.
>> IUP is 21-7 in home PSAC tournament games, including 8-3 at the Kovalchick Complex.
>> IUP carries a 16-1 home record this season with a +14.7 scoring margin.
>> 13 of IUP's 17 home wins have been by double-figures, including six by more than 20 points.
>> IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 9-5 all-time against West Chester, including 5-1 at home. 
>> Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks defeated WCU 80-75 in the regular season meeting on Dec. 18. 
>> IUP hosted West Chester in the 2013 PSAC semifinals, winning 92-76 at the KCAC.
>> Lombardi is 65-25 (.722) all-time against PSAC East teams, including 5-3 in the conference tournament. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN RAMS
>> West Chester is 22-7 overall and is the No. 2 seed in the East with a 16-4 conference record.
>> The Golden Rams advanced to the semifinals with an 89-72 win over Shippensburg in the quarterfinals.
>> They are 7th in this week's NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, released before their quarterfinal win.
>> 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 REMAIN AT NO. 1 IN NCAA ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS
>> The NCAA released its third set of Division II regional rankings Wednesday with the Crimson Hawks retaining the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic that they've had the last two weeks.
>> These rankings determine selection and seeding to the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships in March. 
>> This is the final ranking before the NCAA releases its field of 64 Sunday, March 10 at 10:30 p.m. 

IUP WON PROGRAM'S 16TH ALL-TIME PSAC WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
>> The Crimson Hawks won their fourth straight PSAC West regular season title with their 87-59 win at Edinboro last week. It's the ninth title in the last 10 seasons under HC Joe Lombardi.
>> The Crimson Hawks are the only team in PSAC West history to win outright division titles four straight years. IUP has accomplished that feat twice - 2010-13 and 2016-19.
>> IUP's 16 division titles are the most in conference history. Clarion is 2nd with 14 and Cal U has won 12. 

IUP BOASTS ONE OF TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN DIVISION II
>> IUP has the 26th toughest schedule in Division II with an opponents win percent of .566 (439-337).
>> 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 113-58 (.661) this season.
>> IUP had an average scoring margin of +17.0 in their seven non-conference games.
>> The Crimson Hawks are a combined 6-2 against teams currently in the top 10 of the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings including No. 3 Virginia State, No. 4 Fairmont State, No. 5 East Stroudsburg, No. 6 Shippensburg, No. 7 West Chester, No. 8 Mercyhurst and No. 10 Slippery Rock.

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 last Wednesday 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 80.8 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 15 80-point games this season, scoring 106 against Westminster and 102 against Edinboro. 
>> IUP's 48.2 FG% is its best since shooting the same percentage in 2015-16. The Crimson Hawks have shot at least 50 percent in 14 of their 28 games, including a season-best 56.5 percent (35-62) at Fairmont State.
>> Three players average at least 16 points per game - Diaz (18.9), Lombardi (16.8) and Miller (16.6). 

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 ranks in the top 10 in the PSAC in 13 statistical categories, including 7th in scoring (18.9 PPG) and 3rd in rebounding (9.2 RPG). His 15 double-doubles lead the PSAC and are tied for 11th in Division II.
>> Diaz was named to the top 50 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 10 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 557 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 averaging better than 15 points and 5 assists per game. 
>> His 16.8 PPG average is 13th in the PSAC. His 5.5 APG is 2nd in the league and 36th 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 2nd on the team and 16th in the PSAC with a 16.6 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 13th in the PSAC with 65 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.