INDIANA, Pa. – Third ranked and top-seeded IUP men's basketball will serve as host for the 2023 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. Action begins at noon on Saturday, March 11, while the Crimson Hawks take the floor against Winston-Salem State at approximately 5:00 p.m.
IUP enters the NCAA Tournament with a 30-1 mark as a battle-tested unit following last weekend's PSAC Tournament at Shippensburg. IUP secured a pair of one-possession victories at the PSAC Final Four, emerging with a 67-64 victory against East Stroudsburg before a 54-53 triumph against Mercyhurst in the championship game.
The victory marked the fourth straight regular season and conference title for IUP. Saturday's contest marks third men's regional game of the weekend with the winner advancing to play in Sunday evening's regional semifinal.
GAME INFORMATION – WINSTON-SALEM STATE
TIPOFF NOTES
- IUP is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and has a 35-17 all-time record. It marks the 12th NCAA tournament appearance under HC Joe Lombardi since 2009.
- Lombardi is 22-10 all-time in NCAA tournament games with three regional titles and two national title game appearances. He's 9-1 in opening round games.
- This is the Hawks' fourth straight full season they earned the No. 1 seed to serve as host of the Atlantic Region Championship, including the canceled 2020 tournament. IUP also hosted the regional in 2010.
- IUP is 7-1 in home NCAA tournament games, winning the 2022 regional at the KCAC last season.
- As a program the Crimson Hawks are 12-2 all-time in NCAA tournament openers.
- IUP is coming off its fourth straight PSAC tournament title and its seventh under Lombardi since 2010. The Hawks are the first PSAC team to win at least four straight titles since Cheyney from 1976-80.
- IUP boasts the highest winning percentage in NCAA DII basketball since 2019-20, going 91-6 (.938) overall with marks of 28-2, 33-3 and 30-1, not counting the 2020-21 season where most schools did not play.
- IUP has won 30 consecutive home games, dating back to last season. The Hawks are 15-0 at the KCAC in 2022-23, most recently nabbing an 80-77 win against California (Pa.) in the PSAC Quarterfinals.
- Lombardi (398-107) continues to close in on 400 career victories at IUP, recently surpassing the 500-game milestone earlier this season.
- IUP has won 25 games for the ninth time in the last 13 full seasons under Lombardi, including their fifth 30-2in season since 2009-10.
- The Hawks won their last two games by a combined margin of just four points against NCAA Tournament teams East Stroudsburg and Mercyhurst. The Hawks did not score over the final five minutes, but fended off a final Mercyhurst push in the one-point victory.
- Lombardi (398-107) continues to close in on 400 career victories at IUP, recently surpassing the 500-game milestone earlier this season.
- Shawndale Jones was named a First Team All-Atlantic region selection by the D2CCA on Friday. He's been a catalyst for IUP this season in his return to the starting lineup, earning a spot to the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List earlier this season, while logging averages of 20.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals.
- Ethan Porterfield was named the PSAC Tournament MVP after a stellar stretch of consecutive games at Shippensburg last weekend. Porterfield dropped in 18 points (9-11 FG) with some timely buckets against the Lakers in 39 minutes, adding four rebounds, two assists and a block in the conference championship game.
- IUP has four players in its lineup with 45 steals or more: Dallis Dillard (52), Jones (52), Dave Morris (52) and Tomiwa Sulaiman (46).
- IUP continues to lead NCAA DII in field goal percentage defense (.385), ranking fifth nationally and first in the PSAC in scoring defense (59.9).
- IUP used a stout defensive effort to knock off Winston-Salem State, 67-50, back in November in just the second game of the season for both teams. The Hawks allowed just four points over the final nine minutes of the game against the Rams.
SCOUTING WINSTON-SALEM STATE
- Winston-Salem State enters the tournament with a 21-8 overall record, but secured an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament after a win in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) Championship game.
- WSSU defeated Lincoln (Pa.) 62-57 on Saturday, February 25 in the CIAA Men's Basketball Championship inside the CFG Bank Arena. The title is the 13th in the Rams' storied basketball history, including two under Head Coach Cleo Hill Jr.
- Jaylen Altson earned tournament MVP honors, one of four Rams to average double figures. Alston (6.9) and Jaylon Gibson (6.2) pace the team in rebounding.
- Head coach Cleo Hill. Jr. boasts a 70-40 mark in four seasons at Winston-Salem, going 241-194-1 in his 16-year coaching career.
POSTSEASON HONORS APLENTY FOR IUP
- Jones' latest All-Region award was just the latest in a slew of postseason awards for the IUP men's basketball program.
- Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year. While Jones earned PSAC West Player of the Year as part of last week's all-conference selections announced by the PSAC.
- Morris and Sulaiman also garnered All-PSAC West First team recognition for the Hawks.
IUP IN THE RANKINGS
- IUP closed the regular season ranked third in the NABC coaches poll and second in the D2SIDA rankings.
- IUP elevated to number on in the country for several weeks, maintaining a top five ranking throughout the season.
- Finishing third in the final regular season poll, IUP has logged four consecutive top six year-end finishes and five top 10 rankings over the past six years.
- IUP also finished as the top seed in the NCAA Atlantic region rankings, earning hosting rights for this weekend's NCAA Tournament.
IUP HAS REELED OFF EIGHT IN A ROW HEADING INTO NCAA TOURNAMENT
- IUP closed out the best regular season in program history with a 27-1 mark, winning three games in the conference tournament to push its record to 30-1 overall.
- The Hawks' lone setback came at No. 24 Mercyhurst on February 6.
- The victory against Cal U marked the 30th consecutive home victory for IUP, dating back to last season.
- IUP is one of just five programs in men's college basketball (all divisions) with one loss or fewer to this point in the season.
TRIO OF 1,000 POINT SCORERS ANCHOR IUP
- IUP relies on its veteran trio of 1,000-point scorers to lead the charge. Ethan Porterfield, Shawndale Jones and Dave Morris all reached 1,000 points this season for the Hawks.
- Jones was named to the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List and has been among the top scorers in the country this season.
- Porterfield continues to get it done on both ends of the floor, while showing his versatility on the offensive end. He's third in IUP history in career blocks (135) and continues to provide IUP a double-double threat.
- Morris, who is set for his 100th game at IUP on Saturday, boasts 382 career assists during his time in the crimson and gray, good for seventh in program history.
- Also a key contributor for IUP is Tomiwa Sulaiman, who is second in the conference in blocked shots as an energetic force on both ends of the floor.
LOMBARDI AMONG TOP COACHES IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- HC Joe Lombardi is IUP's all-time winningest coach with a 398-107 career record.
- Lombardi is fourth among active DII head coaches in winning percentage with at least 10 years of experience.
- Lombardi is fifth across all divisions of men's college basketball in winning percentage (.788) among coaches with at least 10 years.
- Lombardi is 11th all-time in men's college basketball in winning percentage across all divisions (min. 10 years).
