INDIANA, Pa. - The top-seed IUP men's basketball team (27-2, 20-2 PSAC) heads into conference championship weekend as they'll host Shippensburg (21-8, 16-6 PSAC) in the semifinals on Saturday at the KCAC. Tipoff is 3:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks advanced with a 70-64 win over Cal U in the quarterfinals while Shippensburg, the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Division, moved on with an 86-74 win over East Stroudsburg in Wednesday's quarters. 

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP is making its 36th all-time PSAC tournament apperance and 14th straight since 2008.
>> IUP is 43-24 (.642) all-time in PSAC tournament games dating back to 1960. The program has won 11 conference tournament championships, including five under HC Joe Lombardi (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020).
>> The Hawks won their six straight PSAC West crown and their 11th in the last 12 seasons. 
>> IUP has an 88-9 (.907) regular season record against PSAC West teams during their six-title run.
>> IUP is the only program in conference history to win at least five straight regular season division titles. The program has done it twice - 2010-14 and 2016-20, 2022 under HC Joe Lombardi. 
>> IUP is 25-7 in home PSAC tournament games, including 12-3 at the Kovalchick Complex.
>> The Hawks enter the PSAC tournament sitting at No. 2 in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings. 
>> IUP also comes into PSAC Championship Weekend on a season-long 12-game win streak. 
>> IUP has won 25 games for the eighth time in the last 12 full seasons under HC Joe Lombardi (2009-10). IUP also has a streak of 13 straight seasons with 20 wins dating back to 2008-09.
>> Shippensburg won the regular season meeting between these teams, 72-60 at the KCAC on December 19. The loss ended IUP's 24-game home win streak. So. F Ethan Porterfield had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
>> Lombardi is 9-5 lifetime against Shippensburg, including a win on the road in the 2020 PSAC title game. 
>> IUP has won 34 of its last 35 home games dating back to the start of 2019-20, including 16-1 this year. 
>> IUP is 30-3 in February and March over the last three full seasons, including 18-2 at home.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAIDERS
>> Shippensburg is 21-8 overall and earned the No. 3 West seed in the tournament with a 16-6 league mark.
>> The Raiders are seeking the program's 3rd all-time PSAC title and first since 2017.
>> This is their fifth PSAC semifinal appearance in the last six seasons, going 2-2 in those games.

IUP IN THE POLLS
>> The Hawks are No. 3 in the NABC Coaches' poll and No. 2 in the D2SIDA Media poll for the 3rd straight week.
>> These are the highest rankings in each poll for the Crimson Hawks this year. 
>> IUP has been inside the top-10 of the media poll each week this year, including a five-week stretch at No. 3. 
>> This is the 14th straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls.
>> It's the 48th time in the last 50 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.

HAWKS NO. 2 IN UPDATED REGIONAL RANKINGS
>> IUP is ranked No. 2 in the second Atlantic Region seed reveal by the NCAA Selection Committee (Feb. 23)
>> These rankings determine the eight teams from Division II's eight regions to earn NCAA tournament berths.
>> IUP is looking to clinch its 11th NCAA tournament appearance since 2009. 

IUP ON SEASON-HIGH 12 GAME WIN STREAK
>> The Hawks have won their last 12 games since Jan. 26 by an average of 14.2 PPG. 
>> IUP also has two 9-game win streaks this year.
>> The Hawks have had 14 win streaks of 9+ games during HC Joe Lombardi's tenure.
>> In 2019-20 IUP had two 9-game win streaks and ended the year with 10 straight wins.
>> The longest win streak under Lombardi was 18 straight games during the 2016-17 season.

HAWKS OFFENSE PROVIDES FIREWORKS
>> IUP is 4th in the PSAC and is 38th in DII at 81.8 PPG. 
>> The Hawks have scored at least 81 points 16 times in 29 games this season.
>> They have scored 100+ points four times and have five more 90-point efforts. 
>> The 107 points against Pitt-Greensburg is a season-high. IUP also scored 106 against Le Moyone, 103 at West Chester, and 100 at Seton Hill. 
>> Five times this year at least five Crimson Hawks have scored in double-figures. 
>> Four of IUP's regular starters average double-figures.

KNOCKING DOWN THE "3"
>> IUP leads the PSAC with 9.3 made 3FGs per game.
>> IUP's 35.3 3FG% is 4th in the conference. 
>> The Hawks made a season-high 18 3-pointers in the 100-60 win at Seton Hill on Jan. 19.
>> They also have performances of 16 3FGs against Edinboro (Jan. 26) and 15 against Gannon (Jan. 31). 
>> IUP has 12 games of 10+ 3-pointers made and has made at least 5 in every game this year.
>> Eight players have made at least 10 3-pointers.
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield leads the PSAC with a 51.1 3FG% (71-139) and 4th with 2.4 3s per game.

SHOOTING THEIR SHOT
>> IUP is 4th in the PSAC and ranks 51st in Division II with a 47.6 FG%. 
>> The Hawks have shot at least 50 pct. 10 times in 29 games this year, going 10-0 in those games.
>> IUP had a season-high 67.8 FG% in the win over Virginia State, the 4th best percentage in program history.
>> The Hawks also had a 63.5 FG% in the win over Le Moyne. 
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield is 3rd in the PSAC and 33rd in Division II with a 58.4 FG%.

PROVIDING THE ASSIST
>> IUP leads the PSAC and ranks 6th in Division II with 18.6 assists per game.
>> The Hawks have assisted on 62.5 pct. (538-860) of their made buckets this season.
>> IUP has double-figure assists in 28 of its 29 games.
>> The Hawks have 11 outings with 20+ assists, including a season-high 31 in the win over Clarion (Feb. 23).
>> IUP assisted on 25 of its 28 made buckets against Gannon on Jan. 31. 
>> Eight Hawks have dished out 20+ assists with Jr. G Armoni Foster (202) and Jr. G Dave Morris (127) on top.

MAKING PLAYS ON "D"
>> IUP is 18th in Division II with 8.8 steals per game. 
>> The Hawks have 12 games of 10+ steals, including a season-high 16 against Concord and at West Chester.
>> Jr. G Dave Morris leads the PSAC and ranks 14th in Division II with 2.36 steals per game. 
>> Morris (66) is one of eight Hawks with more than 10 steals this season.
>> The Hawks' 4.2 blocks per game ranks 2nd in the PSAC and 31st in Division II. 
>> They tallied a season-high 11 blocks in the win over Edinboro on Jan. 26.
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield ranks 4th in the PSAC with 1.4 blocks per game, including 6 against Edinboro.
>> Jr. F Ousmane Diop has two games of 4 blocks this season (vs. Pitt-Greensburg, at Seton Hill).

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
>> IUP is 1st in the PSAC and ranks 8th in Division II with a +8.0 rebounding margin.
>> IUP has won the rebound battle in 22 of 29 games.
>> IUP had a PSAC-best +6.0 rebound margin in 22 conference games.
>> The Hawks posted a season-best 61 boards and +37 margin in the win over Pitt-Greensburg.

IUP SUCCESSFUL AT HOME
>> The Crimson Hawks have lost one home game since the start of the 2019-20 season, going 34-1. 
>> The lone loss came to Shippensburg on Dec. 19, ending IUP's 24-game home win streak. 
>> IUP's longest home win streak during the Lombardi Era is 30 straight victories, from 2008-11. 
>> IUP is 214-36 (.856) at home under Lombardi, including a 53-3 (.946) mark since the 2018-19 season.
>> IUP has two undefeated home seasons under Lombardi - 18-0 in 2009-10 and 16-0 in 2019-20. 

FOSTER NAMED PSAC WEST ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
>> Jr. G Armoni Foster is averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 7.0 APG, to go along with 45 steals and 17 blocks.
>> He ranks 4th in the PSAC and 43rd in DII in points.
>> Foster is 2nd in the PSAC and 4th in DII in assists.
>> His 202 assists is 2nd in IUP single season history (Devante Chance, 217).
>> He's one of three Division II players with multiple triple-doubles this year.
>> Foster tallied his last triple-double with 25 points, 10 boards and 10 assists against Pitt-Greensburg (Dec. 31).
>> He also had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Virginia State. 
>> Foster also has five double-doubles this year.
>> Foster has 14 20-point performances, including three of 30+, this season, with a career-high 33 at West Chester.
>> Foster is currently 14th in IUP history with 1,471 points (Joe DeLise, 13th, 1,510).

FOSTER'S AWARDS
>> In addition to being named PSAC player of the year, he was also a 1st team selection for the 2nd straight year.
>> Foster was named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List (top 50) on Feb. 15.
>> Foster earned back-to-back PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors (Nov. 29, Dec. 6).
>> He was also named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on Jan. 31.

PORTERFIELD IS MR. INSIDE AND MR. OUTSIDE
>> So. F Ethan Porterfield is averaging 17.4 PPG and 7.3 RPG, has 71 3-pointers and 40 blocks.
>> He was a first team All-PSAC West selection.
>> He's 10th in the PSAC in scoring and 14th in rebounds.
>> He's 3rd in the PSAC with a 58.4 FG%.
>> Porterfield leads the PSAC with a 51.1 3FG%.
>> Porterfield's 1.4 blocks per game is 4th in the PSAC.
>> He has five double-doubles this year, his latest coming against Cal U (22 & 12) in the quarters.
>> He posted a career-high 30 points on 13-16 FGs, 3-5 3FGs, and 1-1 FTs in the win at Clarion on Jan. 22.
>> Porterfield has 10 games of 20-plus points.
>> He was named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on Dec. 20 (11.0 RPG, 5 blocks, 3 steals).

MORRIS IS A TWO-WAY POINT GUARD
>> Jr. G Dave Morris is averaging 11.7 PPG and is 2nd on the team with 124 assists.
>> He was a first team All-PSAC West selection.
>> His 4.5 APG ranks 6th in the PSAC. 
>> Morris has a career-high 12 assists twice this year - both against Clarion.
>> Morris leads the PSAC and ranks 14th in Division II with 2.3 steals per game. His 62 steals is 10th in DII.
>> He has 12 games of 3+ steals this year, tying a career-high with 6 against Concord and Lock Haven.
>> Morris has two double-doubles: 19 pts, 16 reb at Gannon and 13 pts, 12 ast vs. Clarion. 

DEMOGERONTAS RETURNS TO THE COURT
>> 5th yr. F Tommy Demogerontas returned against Seton Hill on Feb. 19 after missing 7 games. 
>> He's averaing 10.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG and shooting 15-27 FGs in his last three games.
>> He's 4th on the team with 11.5 PPG and is 7.3 RPG is tied for 1st on the team.
>> He has 3 double-doubles and a 52.2 FG%.
>> Demogerontas had a career game with highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds at Bowie State.

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 on Dec. 4.
>> 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. 

SULAIMAN MAKING QUALITY STARTS
>> Fr. F Tomiwa Sulaiman has started 12 of the last 15 games, moving in with Demogerontas' injury.
>> He was named the PSAC West Rookie of the Year.
>> He broke out with a season-high 26 points on 10-15 FGs and 6-6 FTs against Cal U (Feb. 9). 
>> He's averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG with a 60.2 FG% (59-98), 14 blocks and 15 steals in 12 starts.
>> With Sulaiman in the lineup, IUP is 12-0 with a +19.0 scoring margin. Opponents are averaging 59.4 PPG and shooting just 38.1 pct. 
>> He has five multi-block games this season, including three 3-block games in his last 13 outings.

POLCE STEPPING INTO STARTING 5
>> Fr. G Kyle Polce took Jones' spot in the lineup and has 19 starts this season.
>> Since moving into the lineup against Millersville, he's averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a 41.5 3FG%.
>> Polce has a 2.9-1 assist-turnover ratio this season.

DILLARD PACKS A PUNCH
>> Fr. G Dallis Dillard had his redshirt pulled when Jones was hurt. He's averaging 21.8 minutes in 22 games.
>> He scored a season-high 19 points at Seton Hill and had 14 points in the PSAC quarterfinals win.
>> He averaged 5.7 PPG with a 21-9 assist-turnover ratio in 16 PSAC West games. 

LOMBARDI AMONG TOP PSAC COACHES
>> HC Joe Lombardi is IUP's all-time winningest coach with a 361-105 (.774) career record.
>> On Friday he was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year.
>> His 361 wins is 48th among active Division II coaches.
>> He's also 6th in PSAC history in total wins. Bill Brown (Cal U, 1996-2016) is 5th with 365 victories. 
>> Amongst PSAC coaches with 225+ victories, Lombardi's 22.5 wins per year is 2nd in league history. John Kochan (Millersville) averaged 23.8 wins between 1984-1996. 

CHAMPIONSHIP RESUME
>> Lombardi has the most PSAC tournament appearances (14), wins (22), and titles (5) than any other coach in program history.
>> He's won back-to-back tournament titles twice (2010-11, 2019-20).
>> He also has 11 regular season divisional titles.
>> Lombardi also has two Atlantic Region titles and two trips to the Division II national title game (2010, 2015).