INDIANA, Pa. – The third-ranked and unbeaten IUP men's basketball team flips the calendar to December, beginning PSAC play this weekend with crossover road games at Mansfield (December 2) and Bloomsburg (December 3). Tipoff for both matchups is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
IUP (5-0) played an up and down game, holding on for a 65-60 victory against NE-10 preseason favorite New Haven. Mansfield (1-2) looks to bounce back following a loss against Alliance, while Bloomsburg (0-3) is searching for its first win heading into crossover weekend.
 
GAME INFORMATION – MANSFIELD

• Game Five: IUP (5-0) at Mansfield (1-2)
• When: Friday, December 2 – 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Marion Decker Gymnasium – Mansfield, Pa.
• Social Media Updates: Twitter (@IUP_MBB)
• Live Video: PSAC Digital Network (Mansfield)
• Live Audio: U92.5 FM (U92 Sports Channel)
• Live Stats: SIDEARM  
• Season Stats: IUP | Mansfield  

 
GAME INFORMATION – BLOOMSBURG

• Game Six: IUP (5-0) at Bloomsburg (0-3)  
• When: Saturday, December 3 – 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Nelson Field House – Bloomsburg, Pa.
• Social Media Updates: Twitter (@IUP_MBB)
• Live Video: PSAC Digital Network (Bloomsburg)
• Live Audio: U92.5 FM (U92 Sports Channel)
• Live Stats: SIDEARM
• Season Stats: IUP | Bloomsburg

TIPOFF NOTES

• IUP had both good and bad stretches in a 65-60 win against New Haven. A potential NCAA Tournament team in New Haven, IUP found itself battling back in the second half and holding on for a 65-60 victory.
• Shawndale Jones is one of four players in the PSAC to average 20 points per game or better. He has notched at least 20 in all five games for IUP this season, also making 33 consecutive foul shots entering Saturday's game. Jones has 920 career points between his time at both NJIT and IUP.  
• IUP boasts a 12-3 mark in PSAC openers under HC Joe Lombardi, which includes five consecutive victories.
• The Hawks have swept the season-opening PSAC crossover games in five consecutive seasons.
• IUP enters PSAC play ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense (57.0). The Crimson Hawks are fourth in the country in FG percentage defense (.346) and also fourth in three-point FG percentage defense (.234).
• IUP adjusted well after an early onslaught of three-point baskets by New Haven in the first half. However, the Chargers used the dribble drive to chip away in the second half. Ultimately, the Crimson Hawks rattled off a 12-5 run over the final 4:09 of the contest
• Tomiwa Sulaiman grabbed 10 or more boards for the second time this season, snaring 11 as part of a double-double effort against the Chargers. Sulaiman paces the team in rebounding average (7.8) as a high-energy force in the low block.
• Dave Morris struggled from the floor against New Haven, but made an impact in other ways. The redshirt senior point guard handed out four assists and picked up four steals last time on November 26. Morris has passed out four assists in four consecutive contests, posting multiple steals three times in 2022-23.

SCOUTING MANSFIELD

• 2022-23 Overview | Overall: 1-2 | PSAC: 0-0 | Home: 1-1 | Away: 0-1 | Neutral: 0-0
• Mansfield challenged Bowling Green in the exhibition season, but enter the PSAC crossover weekend with a 1-2 mark following a 68-63 defeat against Alliance on November 19.
• The Mountaineers cut their second-half deficit to just two with Idris Ali posting 17 points and Manir Waller adding a double-double.
• Mansfield is fifth in the nation in blocks/game (5.5), led by a collective effort. Five players have multiple blocked shots on the season, with Waller (5) and Saraj Ali (4) leading the charge.
• The Mountaineers are among the bottom in the PSAC in scoring defense, allowing 74.0 points in three games.

 
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG

• 2022-23 Overview | Overall: 0-3 | PSAC: 0-0 | Home: 0-2 | Away: 0-1 | Neutral: 0-0
• Bloomsburg looks to get back on track during an early-season homestand. The Huskies play five of the first six contests of the season at Nelson Field House. The Huskies host Pitt-Johnstown on Friday before welcoming the Crimson Hawks for a Saturday night clash.
• Louie Wild went wild in the scoring column with 25 points in 38 minutes last time out for the Huskies, a 91-77 road setback to Jefferson. Bloomsburg trimmed its second-half deficit to nine before Jefferson promptly regained control.
• Wild also leads the PSAC in assists/game (4.3), averaging 19.0 points while shooting 57.9% from the floor this season. As a team, Bloomsburg shoots 47.8% from the field but is allowing 87.3 points in three contests.
• Chris Bess, a former assistant with both the men's and women's teams at Edinboro, took over the head coaching role at Bloomsburg last May.

 
IUP IN THE POLLS

• IUP remained ranked No. 3 in the NABC Coaches' Poll and No. 2 in the D2SIDA poll.
• IUP has been ranked in the top 10 over 50 times, dating back to the 2019-20 preseason poll.
• This is the 19th straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls, which includes four polls for the 2022-23 season.

 
DEFENSE A FOCAL POINT SO FAR IN 2022-23

• The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank sixth nationally in scoring defense (57.0). IUP ranks fourth nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert at just 23.4% from deep, while shooting 34.6% from the field.
• IUP is third in the PSAC with 9.8 steals/game. The Crimson Hawks have nine players in their lineup with at least two steals through five games.
• IUP has ranked in the top 10 nationally among NCAA DII schools in scoring defense in both 2021-22 (62.1) and 2019-20 (65.3).
• IUP has limited four of its initial five opponents to 60 points or fewer.
• Jones and Dave Morris have 10 steals each for the Crimson Hawks in four games, each among the top five in the PSAC.
• Ethan Porterfield has seven blocks this season and has 113 for his career, good for third all-time in program history. He is 49 blocks away from tying IUP Hall of Famer Darryl Webb for second all-time.

 
THE REIGNING, DEFENDING PSAC CHAMPIONS

• IUP won its third consecutive PSAC Championship with a 63-52 win against Millersville at the KCAC on March 5, 2022.
• It marked the 12th PSAC Tournament championship in program history and s sixth conference title under HC Joe Lombardi, the most among active PSAC coaches and the second most in conference history.
• IUP's 12 titles are second behind Cheyney's 15.
• Ethan Porterfield was named the PSAC Tournament MVP, averaging 15.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG.

 
BEARER IS BACK; PART OF NEW-LOOK ASSISTANT STAFF

• Former IUP captain Greg Bearer is back with the men's basketball program, returning to the bench to serve as an assistant coach in 2022-23.
• Bearer previously worked at the nationally renowned DME Academy prior to returning to Indiana.
• Also new to the staff this season is graduate assistant Jake Perrin, who worked as a head coach at the high school level.
• Former assistant coach Ron Fadula accepted the head coaching job at upstart South Carolina Beaufort back in October. He is one of several former assistant to take the next step in their professional coaching tenure. 

 

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