INDIANA, Pa. – Top-ranked IUP men's basketball remains home to host California (Pa.) on Saturday, January 21. Tipoff from the KCAC is set for 3:00 p.m.
IUP (16-0, 10-0) is one of just two remaining undefeated NCAA DII men's basketball programs following a resounding 87-55 victory against Clarion on Wednesday.
Shawndale Jones guided the Hawks with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in the victory.
CalU (7-9, 4-6) endured a tough one-point 66-65 setback to Mercyhurst last time out. Redshirt freshman Donald Whitehead, Jr. scored a season-high 25 points, as he shot 10-of-15 from the field while connecting on four-of-seven from beyond the arc.
GAME INFORMATION – CALU
TIPOFF NOTES
- The Crimson Hawks defeated CalU four times last season, capturing the Atlantic Region championship against the Vulcans at the KCAC last March. Ethan Porterfield dropped in 16 points in that contest, while Dave Morris added 12.
- IUP boasts the highest winning percentage in NCAA DII basketball since 2019-20, going 77-5 (.939) overall with marks of 28-2, 33-3 and 16-0, not counting the 2020-21 season where most schools did not play.
- IUP extended its regular season winning streak to 27 straight following the victory against Clarion, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
- Tomiwa Sulaiman earned PSAC West defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season on Monday. Sulaiman averaged a double-double last week for the Hawks, adding four steals, three blocks and several drawn charges.
- IUP is 49-3 (.941) overall dating back to last season and 109-9 since 2018-19. The Hawks have won all but two contests by double digits this season on their way to a 16-0 start.
- The Hawks rounded back into their dominant defensive form in the win against Clarion on Wednesday, holding Clarion to 37.9% shooting for the game and just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc.
- IUP is second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.373), ranking third nationally in scoring defense (58.5).
- IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 29-6 lifetime against Cal U, which includes 18 straight wins spanning back to 2013-14. Lombardi (384-106) continues to close in on 500 career games at IUP, coaching in his 491st contest on Saturday.
- The Hawks earned their 23rd consecutive win at the KCAC with the triumph against Clarion, also the 23rd victory in the head-to-head series with the Golden Eagles. Morris posted 17 points, while Porterfield added 16 and Tomiwa Sulaiman notched 10.
SCOUTING CALU
- Cal enters the weekend second in the conference in scoring (80.8), only behind nationally-ranked East Stroudsburg. Keith Palek III is third in the league in scoring average (18.7), while Jermaine Hall, Jr. (17.0) has provided a big boost since mid-December.
- The Vulcans look to refocus after a tough one-point setback to Mercyhurst last time out. Nicholas Lang extended the Mercyhurst lead to four points at 66-62 at the foul line with just two seconds left and a buzzer-beating three from Whitehead trimmed the deficit to the one-point final margin.
- Five different Vulcans average double figures for a team that shoots nearly 48% from the floor as a unit.
- The starting combination of KJ McClurg, Hall Jr and Palek II all have over 20 steals this season for the Vulcans.
- All-conference guard Zyan Collins has not played in a game for the Vulcans this 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 in the coaches poll, sliding one spot to second in the D2SIDA rankings
- The Hawks spent 11 consecutive weeks ranked first in the coaches poll in 1994-95.
- 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.
- 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 24th straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls.
- The NABC ranking on January 17 marked the 206th in program history, also the 119th time ranked inside the top 10 and the 69th week ranked inside the top five.
DEFENSE A FOCAL POINT SO FAR IN 2022-23
- The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and rank third in NCAA DII in scoring defense (58.5). The Hawks are second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.373) and fourth in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert at just 28.5% from deep.
- IUP leads the PSAC and sixth in NCAA DII with 10.1 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 11 of 16 opponents to 60 points or less in 2022-23. Additionally, IUP has surrendered five or fewer made three-point baskets in seven outings this season.
- IUP has three players rank among the top 10 in the PSAC in steals this season, including Sulaiman (2nd; 29), Dallis Dillard (4th; 28) and Jones (6th; 27).
- Ethan Porterfield has 19 blocks this season and has 125 for his career, good for third all-time in program history. He is 37 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 (384-106) has helped transform IUP into a consistent national power, now in his 17th season. Lombardi continues to close in on 400 career victories, owning the fourth most wins in PSAC history.
- 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 .784 winning percentage, just behind Northwest Missouri State's Ben McCollum (.806). He's sixth among active head coaches in winning percentage across all divisions.
- With a minimum of 10 years of experience, Lombardi is 14th 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.
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 227-36 record in home games all-time under head coach Joe Lombardi.
- Additionally, IUP has gone 66-3 at home since the 2018-19 season. The Hawks have lost just once at home since the start of the 2019-20 season, going 46-1 in home games during that span.
- The win against Clarion on January 18 was the 23rd 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 was one of two IUP players and five players from the PSAC on the 2023 Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List, which recognizes the top players across NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.
- He posted the 1,000th point of his collegiate career against West Chester on December 19. He has scored 775 points during his time in an IUP uniform, shooting 47.8% from the floor for his career as a Crimson Hawk.
- Jones leads the PSAC in scoring (19.9), also fifth in the league in steals/game (1.80) and 14th in assists/game (3.0).
- 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 surpassed 1,000 points in both his collegiate career and at IUP this season, while and also scoring 2,270 points at Strong Vincent HS, the most in Erie history.
- He was one of two IUP players and five players from the PSAC on the 2023 Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List, which recognizes the top players across NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.
- 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 sixth among active DII men's basketball players in steals/game for his career, averaging 2.05. The NCAA DII leader is Kobe Rodgers from Nova Southeastern (2.70).
- 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 384 at IUP.
- Morris also has 347 career assists at IUP alone, surpassing Dewayne Anthony (343) for 10th in program history. When factoring in his 27 assists at Tennessee State, Morris is 9th all-time in program history with 374 assists.
- Morris is second in PSAC with 65 assists this season, posting three or more in 15 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
- Continuing to work back to full strength, Ethan Porterfield is a vital part of the IUP lineup and rotation in his junior season. Finding his shooting touch, Porterfield is 52% from beyond the arc since the new year.
- Porterfield is still averaging double figures (12.3) and leads the team with 19 blocks in 14 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. He grabbed his 500th career rebound at UPJ on January 14.
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, each with an ability to alter the game on the defensive side of the ball.
- The sophomores combine for 11.6 rebounds per game, each providing a big spark to the IUP lineup.
- Sulaiman is a frontrunner for PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year as a three-time PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 21, Dec. 5, Jan. 16). He continues to improve with averages 12.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 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 76.3% (29-38) 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.
