INDIANA, Pa. – Top-ranked IUP men's basketball looks to continue building momentum following one of its top performances of the season with a pair of road divisional matchups this week, beginning with a trip to Gannon on January 11. Tipoff from the Highmark Events Center is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
IUP (13-0, 7-0) got stronger as the game progressed in knocking off a well-coached Mercyhurst team last time out. The Hawks took control in an 80-67 victory against the Lakers, using a team effort and several standout performers to stay unbeaten on the season.
 
Gannon (0-11, 0-7) is hoping that a three-game home swing can help turn its fortunes from an injury-plagued season to this point. The Knights, who return home for the first time since December 19, fell to Pitt-Johnstown by a 79-59 count last Saturday.
 
GAME INFORMATION – GANNON

• Game 14: IUP at Gannon
• When: Wednesday, January 11 – 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Highmark Events Center – Erie, Pa.
• Social Media Updates: Twitter (@IUP_MBB)
• Live Video: PSAC Digital Network
• Live Audio: U92.5 FM (U92 Sports Channel)
• Live Stats: SIDEARM
• Season Stats: IUP | Gannon

TIPOFF NOTES

• IUP extended its regular season winning streak to 24 straight following the victory against Mercyhurst last weekend, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
• Dave Morris, named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week on Monday, paced the Hawks with 21 points (4-10 3FG), seven rebounds and five assists against the Lakers.
• IUP has had plenty of success against Gannon over the last few seasons, winning 12 of the past 14 meetings. Lombardi is 21-11 against Gannon at the helm of the Crimson Hawks.
• IUP is 46-3 overall dating back to last season and 106-9 since 2018-19. The Hawks have won all but one contest by double digits this season on their way to a 13-0 start.
• IUP continues to lead NCAA DII in scoring defense (57.2) and field goal percentage defense (.354). On the offensive end, Shawndale Jones leads the PSAC at 19.8 points/game, also 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.15).
• The Hawks clamped down on Mercyhurst in the second half, holding the Lakers to 30% from the floor over the game's final 20 minutes.
• IUP is 76-6 in PSAC West games since the 2016-17 season, going 40-2 at home during that span. The Hawks have swept the last three regular season series with Gannon, excluding the truncated 2020-21 campaign.
• IUP was also the last PSAC men's basketball program ranked first nationally 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. 
• Tomiwa Sulaiman just missed out on his second consecutive double-double last weekend, posting 12 points (5-7 FG) with nine rebounds, also adding four assists.

 
 
 
SCOUTING GANNON

• Gannon has dealt with a revolving door of available players this season under fourth-year head man Kelvin Jefferson. Demetrius Mims logged a team-high 16 points in the 79-59 setback to UPJ.
• Zach Kent, a 6'10" transfer from NCAA DI Delaware State, has been among those battling injuries this season. Kent posted 20 points and seven boards off the bench against Slippery Rock, following it up with his first start as a Golden Knight at UPJ.
• The Knights are last in the PSAC in scoring offense (62.9) and three-point percentage (.284), while ranking 17 of 18 teams in field goal percentage (.395). Gannon is fifth in the league in blocks/game (3.8), with the duo of Ali Ragab and Mims combining for 23 rejections.
• Jefferson has used eight different starting lineup configurations to this point in the season.

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 maintained the number one spot this week following their victories against Seton Hill and Mercyhurst.
• 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 23rd straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls.
• The NABC ranking on January 10 marked the 205th in program history, also the 118th time ranked inside the top 10 and the 68th week ranked inside the top five.

 
DEFENSE A FOCAL POINT SO FAR IN 2022-23

• The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and NCAA DII in scoring defense (57.2) and field goal percentage defense (.354). IUP is also fifth nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert at just 27.3% from deep.
• IUP ranks sixth in the nation, across all NCAA divisions, in field goal percentage defense.
• IUP is second in the PSAC and sixth in NCAA DII with 10.2 steals/game. The Crimson Hawks have five players in their lineup with 10 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 10 of 12 opponents to 60 points or less in 2022-23. Additionally, IUP has surrendered five or fewer made three-point baskets in six outings this season.
• IUP has three players rank among the top 10 in the PSAC in steals this season with Dallis Dillard (24) second in the league, just ahead of Tomiwa Sulaiman (23).
• Ethan Porterfield has 17 blocks this season and has 121 for his career, good for third all-time in program history. He is 39 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 (381-106) 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 .782 winning percentage, just behind Northwest Missouri State's Ben McCollum (.805). He's sixth among active head coaches in winning percentage across all divisions.
• With a minimum of 10 years of experience, Lombardi is tied for 14^thA among all NCAA head coaches in all-time winning percentage with Francis Schmidt (Tulsa/Arkaansas/TCU). Members of the list include names like Mark Few, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian, among others.

 
HOME SWEET HOME

• IUP has put together a remarkable run of success over the last several seasons, thanks in large part to the team's excellent play on their home floor.
• IUP boasts a 226-36 record in home games all-time under head coach Joe Lombardi.
• Additionally, IUP has gone 65-3 at home since the 2018-19 season. The Hawks have lost just once at home since the start of the 2019-20 season, going 45-1 in home games during that span.
• The win against Mercyhurst on January 7 was the 22nd consecutive home win for the Hawks, which marked an entire calendar year with an undefeated home mark, including the playoffs. The last home loss came to Shippensburg on December 19, 2021, which ended a 24-game home winning streak.
• IUP's longest home win streak during the Lombardi Era is 30 straight victories, from 2008-11.
• IUP has two undefeated home seasons under Lombardi - 18-0 in 2009-10 and 16-0 in 2019-20. 

 
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 714 points during his time in an IUP uniform, shooting 49.4% from the floor for his career as a Crimson Hawk.
• Jones leads the PSAC in scoring (19.8), also 9th in the league in steals/game (1.67) and 13th in assists/game (3.2).
• Jones is a two-time PSAC West Athlete of the Week for the Hawks this season, earning the accolade on November 21 and December 20.
• He dropped in a career-best 37 points (16-28 FG) in 39 minutes at Bowie State in November 2021.
• Jones was named the PSAC Tournament MVP in 2019-20 as a sixth man for the Hawks, helping lead IUP to the school's 11th conference title that season.

 
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 had a key second-half sequence of three point baskets against Seton Hill earlier this week, helping fuel a decisive run for the Hawks. He followed it up with 21 points in a victory against Mercyhurst, earning PSAC West Athlete of the Week laurels on January 9.
• He is fifth among active DII men's basketball players in steals/game for his career, averaging 2.11. The NCAA DII leader is Kobe Rodgers from Nova Southeastern (2.68).
• Morris secured the 400th rebound of his collegiate career with three boards against Millersville on December 30. He posted 44 rebounds in his one season at Tennessee State and 369 at IUP.
• Morris also has 332 career assists at IUP alone, surpassing Brian Kizzie (2003-05) for 11th most in program history. When factoring in his 27 assists at Tennessee State, Morris is ninth all-time in program history with 361 assists.
• Morris leads PSAC with 50 assists this season, posting three or more in 12 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.

 
PORTERFIELD IS WORKING HARD TO CONTRIBUTE 

• Despite not being full strength, Porterfield continues to be a vital part of the IUP lineup and rotation in his junior season.
• Porterfield is still averaging double figures (11.5) and leads the team with 17 blocks in 11 games.
• He was an efficient 5-7 from the floor for 11 points with five rebounds and four assists at Millersville. Porterfield matched a season-high three blocks against Seton Hill on January 4.
• Porterfield surpassed 1,000 career points on a pull-up three in the second half against Walsh in November.

 
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 11.7 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 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks.
• Meanwhile, Brooks has provided his fair share of highlight reel sequences in limited action off the bench. He is shooting an efficient 77.1% (27-35) from the floor, adding 11 blocks and six 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. 

 

---