INDIANA, Pa. – IUP men's basketball will play as the number one team in the country for the first time in nearly three decades on Friday afternoon in a rematch of the 2021-22 PSAC Championship game against Millersville. Tipoff from Pucillo Gymnasium on December 30 is set for 5:00 p.m.
IUP (10-0, 4-0) handled Kutztown and West Chester prior to the holiday break, remaining perfect on the season. The wins, coupled with a Northwest Missouri State loss to Emporia State, helped IUP rise from second in the national polls to the number one spot for the first time since early in the 1995-96 season.
Millersville (6-4, 3-1) returns to action with wins in five of its last six outings, still looking to shake off a 68-56 defeat to Pitt-Johnstown on December 19. The Marauders have gone 20-2 over the last two seasons at Pucillo Gymnasium.
GAME INFORMATION – MILLERSVILLE
- Game 11: IUP at Millersville
- When: Friday, December 30 – 5:00 p.m.
- Where: Pucillo Gymnasium – Millersville, Pa.
- Social Media Updates: Twitter (@IUP_MBB)
- Live Video: PSAC Digital Network (Courtesy: Ville Sports Network)
- Live Audio: U92.5 FM (U92 Sports Channel)
- Live Stats: SIDEARM
- Season Stats: IUP | Millersville
TIPOFF NOTES
- IUP knocked off Millersville for a 63-52 victory in last year's PSAC Championship game, marking the third consecutive conference title for the Hawks. Overall, IUP has recorded 10 consecutive wins against Millersville in the head-to-head series.
- IUP, which extended its winning streak to 21 consecutive in the regular season, was the last PSAC men's basketball program to achieve a number one ranking back in the mid-1990s. Prior to that, California (Pa.) was ranked atop the national poll for five weeks in 1992-93, with Millersville and Cheyney earning the number one spot in the 1980s.
- Shawndale Jones won his second PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week award on December 20, averaging 21.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44.3% (13-30) from the floor and 87.5% (14-16) from the foul line.
- Jones leads the PSAC in scoring as the lone player in the league to average 20 points or better.
- Sporting another great defensive unit this season, the Hawks have been traditionally stout against Millersville over the last several meetings. The Hawks have limited the Marauders to less than 60 points in seven of the last nine outings, including 52 points on a 30% clip in the conference championship last March.
- IUP ranks second nationally in scoring defense (57.6), just behind national leader Miles (57.5) for first in NCAA DII. The stout Hawks have consistently contested shots throughout the season on the defensive end, ranking first in NCAA DII and seventh across all divisions in field goal percentage defense (35.2).
- Jones and redshirt senior guard Dave Morris each went over 1,000 points in their collegiate careers during the consecutive PSAC crossover matchups. Overall, the duo joins Ethan Porterfield, who registered his 1,000th career point earlier this season against Walsh.
- IUP is 43-3 overall dating back to last season and 103-9 since 2018-19. The Hawks have won all but one contest by double digits this season on their way to a 10-0 start.
SCOUTING MILLERSVILLE
- While Millersville has limited point totals, opponents have hit 35.6% from three, which puts Millersville 15th in the 18-team league, and the Marauders rank seventh in field goal percentage defense. Millersville is 6-0 when holding teams under 45% shooting. A key for Millersville has been generating turnovers (17.7 per game) while limiting its own, committing 13.7 per game--a 4.0 margin which is fourth in the PSAC. IUP ranks second.
- While the defense has been solid, the Marauders have not yet found consistency at the offensive end, and that's to be expected with four new starters. Five different players have led the team in scoring in the first 10 games. Drew Stover is the team's scoring leader at 10.9 points per game while averaging 20.3 minutes per game. Stover has scored double-figures in six of the last nine games.
- Guards Jahme Ested and Keith Mency had started to find their scoring before the Dec. 19 loss to Pitt-Johnstown. Ested had averaged 11.5 points and 3.6 assists in Millersville's five-game winning streak while Mency had averaged 14.7 points and 2.7 steals in the prior three games.
IUP IN THE POLLS
- IUP moved to first in the D2SIDA poll, released December 21, before coming in first in the NABC rankings on December 27.
- The Hawks spent 11 consecutive weeks ranked first in the coaches poll in 1994-95.
- IUP has been ranked in the top 10 over 50 times, dating back to the 2019-20 preseason poll, including the entire 2022-23 season.
- This is the 21st straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls.
- The NABC ranking on December 27th marked the 203rd in program history, also the 116th time ranked inside the top 10 and the 66th week ranked inside the top five.
JONES MAKING MOST OF SECOND CHANCE
- Shawndale Jones has been stellar in his return to the IUP program in 2022-23. Battling back from a leg injury in just the seventh game of last season, Jones has continued working back to full strength.
- He posted the 1,000th point of his collegiate career against West Chester on December 19. He has scored 685 points during his time in an IUP uniform, shooting over 50% from the floor for his career as a Crimson Hawk.
- Jones leads the PSAC in scoring (21.0), also 11th in the league in steals/game (1.67) and 14th in assists/game (3.0).
DEFENSE A FOCAL POINT SO FAR IN 2022-23
- The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and NCAA DII in scoring defense (57.6) and field goal percentage defense (.352). IUP ranks seventh nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert at just 26.3% from deep.
- IUP is second in the PSAC and sixth in NCAA DII with 10.9 steals/game. The Crimson Hawks have nine players in their lineup with five or more steals.
- 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 eight of 10 opponents to 60 points or less in 2022-23.
- Dallis Dillard and Tomiwa Sulaiman are second in the PSAC with 20 steals each, while Morris has 19 steals to rank fourth in the PSAC.
- Porterfield has 12 blocks this season and has 116 for his career, good for third all-time in program history. He is 44 blocks away from tying IUP Hall of Famer Darryl Webb for second all-time.
LOMBARDI AMONG ELITE COACHES IN ALL OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- IUP HC Joe Lombardi (378-106) has helped transform IUP into a consistent national power, now in his 17th season. Through his initial 16 seasons, Lombardi has helped guide IUP to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, six PSAC titles, three Atlantic Region Championships and two DII national title game appearances.
- Lombardi is fourth among active NCAA DII head coaches with a .781 winning percentage, just behind Northwest Missouri State's Ben McCollum (.804). He's sixth among active head coaches in winning percentage across all divisions.
- With a minimum of 10 years of experience, Lombardi is 15th among all NCAA head coaches in all-time winning percentage. Members of the list include names like Mark Few, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian, among others.
MIGHTY MORRIS
- Dave Morris have proven valuable across the board as the trigger man for the IUP offense. Morris recently surpassed 1,000 collegiate points and also scored 2,270 points at Strong Vincent HS, the most in Erie history.
- Morris is three rebounds shy of 400 for his collegiate career. He posted 44 rebounds in his one season at Tennessee State and 353 at IUP.
- Morris also has 318 career assists at IUP, surpassing Jacobo Diaz for 12th in program history.
- Morris ranks second in the PSAC with 36 assists this season, posting three or more in nine games.
- He was named PSAC West Athlete of the Week on December 12 following a career outing of 31 points (10-16 FG) against Penn State Altoona.
SULAIMAN AND BROOKS CREATE DYNAMIC INSIDE DUO FOR HAWKS
- Sulaiman and Damir Brooks have combined to create a high-energy low post duo for IUP.
- The sophomores combine for 10.8 rebounds per game, each providing a big spark to the IUP lineup.
- Sulaiman is a two-time PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on November 21 and December 5, averaging 12.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assts, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks.
- Meanwhile, Brooks has provided his fair share of highlight reel sequences in limited action off the bench. He is shooting an efficient 76.7% (23-30) from the floor, adding eight blocks and five steals.
THE REIGNING, DEFENDING PSAC CHAMPIONS CAPTURE THIRD IN A ROW
- 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 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 assistants to take the next step in their professional coaching tenure, including Shippensburg head coach Chris Fite.
