MATCHUP
(7/6) IUP Crimson Hawks at (RV/-) Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. | Sports Center, Johnstown, Pa.
*Rankings reflect NABC/D2SIDA Top 25 Polls

PREVIEW INFORMATION
IUP (15-1, 10-1 PSAC) (PDF) | Pitt-Johnstown (15-3, 9-2 PSAC)

FOLLOW
Watch: PittJohnstownAthletics.com (StretchInternet) | Live Stats: PittJohnstownAthletics.com (SIDEARM Sports) | Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App | Twitter Updates: @IUP_MBB

COMING UP
Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Pitt-Johnstown, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25 vs. Clarion, 7:30 p.m.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
No. 7 IUP men's basketball (15-1, 10-1 PSAC) hits the road for a battle between the top two teams in the division Wednesday night at Pitt-Johnstown (15-3, 9-2 PSAC). Tipoff at UPJ's Sports Center is set for 7:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks haven't lost in January and bring a six-game win streak into the week after an 86-69 comeback win over Cal U Saturday night. The Mountain Cats rebounded from a Wednesday loss to Mercyhurst with a 72-69 home victory over Slippery Rock Saturday.  

TIPOFF NOTES
>> Sr. G Malik Miller scored 22 points for the second straight night, including 15 in the second half, as IUP rebounded from an early first half deficit to post a 17-point victory. 
>> The Crimson Hawks were down 22-4 less than nine minutes into the game, but rallied to go into the half only down 33-28. IUP then scored 58 second half points to finish off the double-digit comeback win. 
>> Miller was one of five Hawks in double-figures, including R-So. Gs Armoni Foster and Dave Morris and Fr. F Ethan Porterfield each with 17 points. 
>> This marked the fifth time in the last six games that IUP has posted a double-digit win. The Hawks have a +19.5 scoring margin during their six-game win streak. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are one of seven teams in Division II with 1 loss. 
>> HC Joe Lombardi is 15-3 lifetime against UPJ, including a 14-1 mark since they joined the conference in 2013. 
>> The Mountain Cats only win during that time came at the KCAC during the 2017-18 season (65-63). 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 6-1 on the road this year and 38-5 (.884) away from home over the last four seasons. 
>> IUP is 10-1 in PSAC West road games since last year, including nine straight wins. 
>> The Crimson Hawks are 48-3 (.940) in January over the last six seasons, including a 25-2 mark on the road.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN CATS
>> Pitt-Johnstown is 15-3 overall and 2nd in the PSAC West standings with a 9-2 conference record.
>> UPJ is the seventh team receiving votes in this week's NABC Top 25.
>> UPJ has win streaks of eight and seven games this year, the latter of which came to an end last Wednesday with a 82-74 home loss to Mercyhurst.
>> This will be UPJ's second game against a ranked opponent this year, defeating Shippensburg 81-73 on Dec. 20. The Raiders were No. 25 in the media's top 25. 
>> UPJ is the top shooting team in the PSAC with a 50.9 FG%. The Mountain Cats are also 3rd with a 75.1 FT%

IUP IN THE RANKINGS
>> The Crimson Hawks held steady at No. 7 in the latest NABC Top 25 coaches' poll.  
>> It marks the ninth straight week the Crimson Hawks appear in the top 10 of the coaches' poll after opening the preseason at No. 11. 
>> It's also the 27th straight poll release that the Crimson Hawks have been in the top 25. 
>> IUP reached as high as No. 3 in the poll (Dec. 17). 

IUP OFF TO ANOTHER STRONG START
>> IUP is one of seven teams in Division II (as of Jan. 20) with just 1 loss this year. 
>> IUP's nine straight wins to open the season was the fourth best start in the Joe Lombardi era.
>> This is IUP's third 15-1 start in the HC Joe Lombardi era, including the 2018-19 and 2009-10 seasons. 
>> Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks opened the 2018-19 and 2013-14 seasons with 14 straight wins. 

IUP OFFENSE HAS SET GOOD EARLY SEASON PACE
>> The Crimson Hawks are 3rd in the PSAC scoring 82.7 PPG through 16 games. 
>> IUP is also 3rd in the PSAC with a 49.0 FG% and 10th in Division II with a +18.9 scoring margin. 
>> They have 10 games of 80+ points, posting a Lombardi-era high 108 in the win over Bethany.
>> IUP's 82.7 average is currently the highest in the 14 seasons under Lombardi and ahead of last year's 15-game pace (81.5).
>> IUP players have a combined 15 20-point games, with R-So. Armoni Foster leading the team with seven. 
>> IUP is 11-0 when a player scores 20 points. 

DEFENSE IS ROCK SOLID
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 8th in Division II allowing just 63.8 PPG.
>> IUP has held opponents under 70 points 11 times, including nine times in 11 PSAC games. 
>> IUP also leads the conference in defensive FG% (.388), defensive 3FG% (.283), is 3rd in steals per game (7.9) and 4th in blocks per game (4.1). 
>> Fr. F Ethan Porterfield (23) and Sr. F Chucky Humphries (22) rank 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the PSAC in total blocks. 
WINNING THE BATTLE ON THE GLASS
>> The Crimson Hawks are 2nd in the PSAC and 27th in Division II with a +6.6 rebounding margin.
>> They've been on the plus side of the rebounding margin 13 times in 16 games this year, including a +16 difference last Wednesday against Edinboro. 
>> UPJ is 6th in the PSAC with a +2.8 rebounding margin.

FOSTER HAS BEEN HUGE AS FIRST-YEAR STARTER
>> R-So. G Armoni Foster was named to the top-100 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, which annually goes to the top small college player in the nation.
>> He's IUP's top scorer, ranking 10th in the PSAC with 18.2 PPG. 
>> Foster has seven 20-point games and has scored in double-figures 11 straight games. 
>> Foster is the top shooting guard in the conference, ranking 7th overall with a 51.2 FG% (105-205).
>> 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. 

MILLER REACHES 100-GAME AND 1000-POINT MARKS
>> 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 (Nov. 15)
>> He became the ninth player in the Lombardi era to reach 100 career games at Shippensburg (Dec. 21). 
>> Miller has 1247 points and an 11.8 career average.
>> He has six 20-point games, including three in the last four outings. Miller enters the week with back-to-back 22-point performances. 
>> Miller was named a preseason player of the year candidate by Wayne Cavaldi of NCAA.com.

PORTERFIELD VALUABLE AS FRESHMAN STARTER
>> Fr. F Ethan Porterfield has started each of the last 9 games, the most by an IUP freshman since Dante Lombardi (13) in 2015-16. 
>> He scored 17 points with 3 blocks in the comeback win over Cal U and had his first career double-double (14, 12) in the win at Edinboro.
>> Porterfield is averaging 13.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG with 13 blocks and a 66.7 FG% (34-51) in his last six games.
>> He scored a season-high 19 points at Shepherd, the most by an IUP freshman since Jacobo Diaz in 2015-16. 

MORRIS COMING INTO HIS OWN
>> R-So. G Dave Morris is averaging 14.3 PPG with a 60.6 3FG% (15-25) over the last three games. 
>> He's put together big second halves in close games, scoring 17 points against Gannon and 15 points in the comeback win over Cal U. 
>> He leads the team with 59 assists and ranks 4th with 9.3 PPG.