INDIANA, Pa. -- Under the calm and collected leadership of head coach Joe Lombardi, the fourth-ranked IUP men's basketball team continues to tear through the PSAC. Since suffering their sole loss at the beginning of February to Mercyhurst, the Hawks are unbeaten through the last three games ahead of their Senior Day and Alumni Day matchup against Slippery Rock on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00pm at the KCAC.
 
IUP (25-1, 19-1) settled in for a 22-point victory over the Edinboro Fighting Scots on Wednesday February 15, winning 78-56. After a slow start to the first half, the Hawks regained the lead with about 15 minutes left and never looked back, holding on to the advantage for the rest of the game with a big spark from Ethan Porterfield.
 
IUP celebrates Senior Day, planning to recognize Dave Morris, Shawndale Jones and Ousmane Diop in a pregame ceremony. At halftime, returning alumni of the program will be recognized in the team's regular season home finale. Overall, IUP will look to continue a history of recent success against Slippery Rock, winners of six consecutive meetings.
 
IUP has been particularly dominant against Slippery Rock in Indiana, winning 31 straight home games against SRU. The Rock have not beaten IUP in Indiana since February 1992. IUP is distributing free t-shirts to the first 300 students, while the game is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts, featuring great giveaways throughout the afternoon.
 
IUP dominated in the paint against the Fighting Scots, scoring 48 points from the lane. Shawndale Jones and Tomiwa Sulaiman led the way with 18 and 16 points respectively. IUP placed four in double figures, while the team was 13-16 from the free throw line. Jaylen Stewart had a busy game off the bench, logging six points and six rebounds over 29 minutes on the floor.
 
The high-octane, high-pressure play from IUP continues to be one of their brightest points, as the Hawks posted 21 points off turnovers and 17 points on the fast break. Dave Morris led the team with three steals as Sulaiman added two and Jones, Kyle Polce, Porterfield and KJ Rhodes had one apiece. 
 
Slippery Rock (15-10, 9-10) has secured a winning season and postseason berth, recently snapping a three-game losing streak with a victory over Edinboro on February 11. The Rock had their bye on Wednesday, while IUP's bye is scheduled for next Wednesday.
 
GAME INFORMATION – SLIPPERY ROCK

• Game 27: IUP vs. Slippery Rock
• When: Saturday, February 18 – 3:00 p.m.
• Where: KCAC – Indiana, Pa. 
• Social Media Updates: Twitter (@IUP_MBB) 
• Live Video: PSAC Digital Network (IUP-TV Sports)  
• Live Audio: U92.5 FM (U92 Sports Channel) 
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast
• Season Stats: IUP | Slippery Rock

 
TIPOFF NOTES

• The Hawks boast the highest winning percentage in NCAA DII basketball since 2019-20, going 86-6 (.934) overall with marks of 28-2, 33-3 and 25-1, not counting the 2020-21 season where most schools did not play. 
• Jones is 20 points shy of reaching 1,000 points during his IUP tenure. Jones, who previously played at NJIT before transferring to Indiana, surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in December.
• Prior to tipoff, IUP will recognize the team for capturing the PSAC West regular season title. The Hawks claimed their 12th regular season title in the last 13 years with Wednesday's victory against Edinboro.
• IUP is 58-4 (.935) overall dating back to last season and 119-10 since 2018-19. The Hawks have won all but four contests by double digits this season on their way to a 25-1 mark. 
• IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 27-7 lifetime against Slippery Rock, including 17-0 at home.
• The Hawks have swept SRU nine times in the previous 15 full seasons under Lombardi.
• IUP continues to lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (.382), while ranking fourth nationally in scoring defense (58.8).
• The Hawks are looking for their third undefeated home season under Lombardi with a win on Saturday, previously going 18-0 in 2009-10 and 16-0 in 2019-20. Overall, IUP has won 28 straight home contests, dating back to last season. 

 

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