INDIANA, Pa. - The No. 10-ranked IUP men's basketball team (9-1, 4-1 PSAC) looks to ring in the New Year with a victory as they host Pitt-Greensburg (4-6, 2-1 AMCC) in non-conference action on December 31. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Crimson Hawks are coming off their first loss of the season, a 72-60 setback at the hands of Shippensburg on December 19. Pitt-Greensburg enters the week having won two straight and will host Chatham in a non-conference game on Wednesday before making the trip to Indiana. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Crimson Hawks split their PSAC crossover home games in their last time out, defeating Shepherd 65-46 the day before falling to Shippensburg.
>> The loss to Shippensburg ended IUP's 24-game home win streak that dated back to the 2019-20 season.
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield earned PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week honors on Dec. 20. He averaged 11.0 RPG to go along with 5 blocks and 3 steals against Millersville, Shepherd and Shippensburg.
>> Porterfield also had team-bests of 19.3 PPG, 56.8 FG% and 5 3-pointers made that week. 
>> IUP is coming off its lowest scoring performances of the year with 65 points against Shepherd and 60 against Shippensburg. The Hawks were averaging 93.5 PPG with five 90-point performances in their first eight games. 
>> It was announced Dec. 13 that Sr. G Shawndale Jones will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury he suffered in the win at West Chester. Jones was leading the PSAC and ranked 5th in Division II with 25.0 PPG.
>> This game was added December 15 to get IUP back to the max 28-game schedule. IUP lost a game against Salem over Thanksgiving weekend as the Tigers pulled out of the contest. 
>> IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 3-0 lifetime against Pitt-Greensburg. This will be the first meeting between these two teams since the Hawks won 91-49 in the 2012-13 season-opener. 
>> IUP is 204-36 (.850) at home under Lombardi since he took over in 2006-07.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE BOBCATS
>> Pitt-Greensburg enters the week at 4-6 overall and has a 2-1 record in the AMCC.
>> The Bobcats host Chatham on Wednesday afternoon. 
>> The Bobcats average 81.0 PPG but also give up nearly 82.0 PPG this season. 
>> JoJo France is one of the AMCC leaders with 19.0 PPG.

IUP IN THE POLLS
>> The Crimson Hawks dropped five spots to a tie for No. 8 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25.
>> IUP also dropped to No. 10 in the coaches' rankings. 
>> It's the 39th time in the last 41 polls the Hawks have been eligible for that they rank in the top-10, dating back to the 2019-20 preseason poll. 
>> IUP spent the entire 2018-19 season in the top-5 of the media poll and all of 2019-20 in the top-10.

IUP HAD 9-0 START TO THE SEASON
>> The Crimson Hawks won their first five non-conference games and four straight to open the PSAC slate.
>> It was the fifth time since the 2009-10 season that IUP has opened a season with at least 9 straight wins. 
>> IUP's best start under Lombardi was 14-0 to open the 2017-18 and 2013-14 seasons.
>> IUP started the 2019-20 season 9-0 and the 2009-10 season 11-0.

HAWKS OFFENSE PROVIDES FIREWORKS
>> IUP is 2nd in the PSAC and 11th in DII at 87.3 PPG.
>> The Hawks have scored at least 81 points in eight of their 10 games and have five 90-point and two 100-point outings. 
>> Their 106 points against Le Moyne is a season-high. 
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 7th in Division II with a 51.7 FG%. IUP has made half its shots in a game five times, shooting 67.8 pct. against Virginia State and 63.5 pct. against Le Moyne.
>> IUP is 2nd in the PSAC with 8.3 made 3s per game. 
>> The Hawks' 18.1 assists per game are 2nd in the PSAC and 11th in Division II.
>> IUP shot 67.8 pct (40-59) from the field, 52.4 pct. from 3 (11-21) and dished out 28 assists in the 97-45 win over Virginia State.
>> Four of IUP's starters are averaging double-figures.

MAKING PLAYS ON DEFENSE
>> IUP is 14th in Division II with 10.1 steals per game. 
>> Jr. G Dave Morris leads the PSAC and ranks 3rd in Division II with 3.44 steals per game. 
>> The Hawks' 4.3 blocks per game is 4th in the PSAC, getting at least 6 blocks in a game four times. 
>> IUP has won the rebound battle is eight of 10 games and leads the PSAC with a +8.0 margin. 
>> Five times IUP has held an opponent under 70 points, including three times under 60.
>> IUP allowed just 45 points and a 25.0 field goal pct. with 15 steals and 8 blocks against Virginia State.

IUP SUCCESSFUL AT HOME
>> With their loss to Shippensburg, the Crimson Hawks saw a 24-game home win streak come to a close.
>> IUP's longest home win streak during the Lombardi Era is 30 straight victories. That streak ran from the 2008-09 to the 2010-11 seasons.
>> IUP is 43-3 (.935) at home since 2018-19 and 129-17 (.884) since the 2012-13 season. 
>> IUP has two undefeated home seasons under Lombardi - 18-0 in 2009-10 and 16-0 in 2019-20. 

JONES WILL NOT RETURN IN 2021-22
>> Sr. G Shawndale Jones will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season after suffering an injury at West Chester.
>> At the time of his injury, Jones led the PSAC and ranked 6th in Division II with 25.0 PPG. 
>> He had five 20-point games, including a career-high 37 points at Bowie State.
>> He's one of four IUP players this century to score at least 37 points in a game. 
>> He was also 9th in the PSAC with a 57.4 FG%, 4th with an 86.8 FT%, and 4th with 33 free throws made. 

FOSTER GETTING IT DONE ALL OVER THE COURT
>> Jr. G Armoni Foster is averaging 18.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 5.1 APG, to go along with 12 steals and 10 blocks.
>> Foster earned back-to-back PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors (Nov. 29, Dec. 6).
>> He's one of six players in Division II with a triple-double, going for 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Virginia State. 
>> Foster also has two double-doubles this year: 17 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists against Concord and 17 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds against Le Moyne.
>> Foster went over 1,000 career points during the win at Kutztown. He's currently tied for 30th in IUP history with 1,090 points (Mark Maier, 29th, 1,093). 

PORTERFIELD IS MR. INSIDE AND MR. OUTSIDE
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield is averaging 16.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG, has 19 3-pointers and 17 blocks.
>> He was named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on Dec. 20 (11.0 RPG, 5 blocks, 3 steals).
>> He's 3rd in the PSAC with a 59.6 FG% (62-104).
>> His 47.5 3FG% (19-40) would rank 2nd in the PSAC if he had enough makes to qualify.
>> Porterfield's 1.7 blocks per game is 4th in the PSAC.
>> He had back-to-back double-doubles against Shepherd (16 pts, 14 reb) and Shippensburg (19 pts, 12 reb).

DEMOGERONTAS A DOUBLE-DOUBLE THREAT
>> 5th yr. F Tommy Demogerontas is averaging 13.2 PPG and a team-best 8.0 RPG this year.
>> He posted his 3rd double-double of the year with 15 points and 12 boards against Millersville. 
>> He has five double-doubles in 17 games at IUP.
>> Demogerontas is 4th in the PSAC and 52nd in Division II with a 58.7 FG% (54-92).