INDIANA, Pa. - The IUP men's basketball team is Elite Eight bound as the Crimson Hawks defeated division rival Cal U 68-59 in the title game of the 2022 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship tournament Tuesday night at the Kovalchick Complex. 

It marks the seventh regional title for the program since 1994, including the third under head coach Joe Lombardi. The Crimson Hawks will be making their first Elite Eight appearance since its national title game run in 2015.

It was also the 17th straight victory for IUP dating back to January 26. The Hawks improved to 32-2 overall, one win shy of tying the program record for victories (33, 2009-10). It's the second longest win streak under Lombardi (18 games). 

For his efforts, IUP sophomore forward Ethan Porterfield was named the Atlantic Region Tournament Most Valuable Player. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in three IUP victories, shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 17-of-21 from the foul line. He was also the PSAC Tournament MVP a week ago. 

Junior guard Dave Morris was a second IUP player named to the All-Tournament Team, averaging 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists with nine 3-pointers made and seven steals. 

How it happened
Trailing 54-53 with 3:40 to play, the Hawks scored 11 straight points and finished the game on a 15-5 run to grind out the victory. The run started with a tough bucket by Porterfield down low, followed by a corner 3-pointer by the forward with 1:47 to play to give IUP a 58-54 lead. 

After a Cal U missed 3-pointer, IUP started a run of perfect trips to the free throw line with junior guard Armoni Foster and freshman guard Dallis Dillard putting the Hawks up 62-54 with 1:19 left. Freshman forward Tomiwa Sulaiman and Morris also knocked down free throws before Foster put the icing on the cake with free throws before a steal with 10 seconds left. 

The double-digit lead gained by IUP in the closing seconds represented the biggest lead of the game for either team. The first half was especially tight, with Cal U taking the biggest lead at 13-9 after a 3-pointer by Preston Boswell. Also trailing later in the half, the Hawks scored the final five points before halftime to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

The Vulcans hit a couple of early second half 3-pointers but back-to-back buckets by Morris put IUP on top 40-36 at the first media break. A minute later fifth-year forward Tommy Demogerontas gave IUP a six-point lead but Cal U rallied and tied the game at 42-42. The teams traded the lead and tied the game four more times before the Hawks finishe the game on their run.

IUP shot 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the field and went 14-of-16 from the foul line in the second half. The Hawks also held a 37-to-31 advantage on the glass.

For the sixth straight game, IUP held an opponent under 40.0 percent shooting as the Vulcans shot 32.8 percent (19-of-58) from the field, including 6-of-23 from 3-point range. 

Who stood out
Foster scored a game-high 19 points, going 5-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the foul line. 

Porterfield had 16 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal. Morris went for 12 points and seven rebounds, and Sulaiman had eight points, five boards and two blocks. 

Notes
IUP was making its third straight appearance as the No. 1 seed and host of the Atlantic Region tournament (2019, 2020, 2022) ... IUP is making its 18th all-time NCAA tournament appearance, including its 11th under head coach Joe Lombardi since the 2009 season ... Lombardi is 21-9 in NCAA tournament games ... He's 3-1 in Atlantic Region title games ... IUP is 7-3 all-time in regional championship games ... This is Lombardi's fourth 30-win season since 2009-10 ... IUP finished up a 21-1 home season, a program record for home victories ... The Hawks are 39-1 since the start of the 2019-20 season ... IUP is 35-3 in February and March over the last three full seasons ... Foster has 623 points this season, fifth in program single season history. 

Up next
The Hawks head to Evansville, Indiana next week for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Seeds and matchups will be announced Wednesday. 

Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.