INDIANA, Pa. – Senior guard Dante Lombardi was awarded the 2018-19 IUP Men's Performance of the Year award, announced Wednesday, June 19 by the IUP Athletic Department.
 
The award is part of the Crimson & Gray Awards, which recognize the top athletes, coaches, teams and performances of the IUP Athletics season. The Awards are in their third year of existence.
 
Lombardi had arguably the best game of his career in one of the most high-pressure games of the season. The veteran point guard tied a career-high with 33 points as he led the top-seeded IUP men's basketball program to a 90-69 win over West Chester in the semifinal round of the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship.
 
Lombardi shot 10-of-16 from the field and drained seven 3-pointers, highlighting the Crimson Hawks' best shooting performance of the season. He was also perfect on all six trips to the foul line.
 
He added four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 36 minutes on the court.
 
The dominant performance helped Lombardi take home PSAC Tournament MVP honors the following day as the Crimson Hawks won the program's 10th conference title with a 56-49 win over Mercyhurst.
 
About the Performance of the Year Award
The IUP Performance of the Year is given each year to the student-athletes who had the most significant or extraordinary performance in a single game, event, or outing. The Performance of the Year Award began in 2017 with the creation of the Crimson & Gray Awards.  
 
About the Crimson & Gray Awards
The Crimson & Gray Awards are in their third year of existence and consist of 18 total categories - nine women, nine men - with top performers and performances from the 2018-19 year eligible.
 
Awards include: Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Performance of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, Postseason Performer of the Year, Senior of the Year, Team of the Year and Athlete of the Year.

The IUP Sports Information Office collected award nominations from its coaches, with those nominees voted on by a select panel to narrow each category down to finalists. That panel votes again to determine the winners.
 
Up next
The 2018-19 IUP Men's and Women's Freshman of the Year awards will be announced Thursday.
 
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