INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball program is primed for a pair of key divisional matchups in a three-day span, hosting rivals Slippery Rock (January 27) and No. 17/13 California (Pa.) (January 29) at the KCAC.
 
Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively. Live video coverage will be provided by IUP-TV Sports on the PSAC Digital Network, along with live audio on U92.5FM with the Voice of the Hawks, Jack Benedict.
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (12-5, 9-2 PSAC) vs. Slippery Rock (8-9, 6-5 PSAC)
Saturday, January 27 – 3:00 p.m. – KCAC – Indiana, Pa.  
Game Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) – Live Stats – Live Audio (U92.5FM)
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
* Free T-Shirts available to first 500 IUP students (while supplies last)
 
IUP vs. No. 17/13 California (Pa.) (15-2, 9-2 PSAC)
Monday, January 29 – 7:30 p.m. – KCAC – Indiana, Pa.  
Game Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) – Live Stats – Live Audio (U92.5FM)
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
TIPOFF NEWS AND NOTES

• IUP has won 11 of the last 13 games and enters the week with an 9-2 mark in conference play. IUP has posted a combined 107-13 (.891) record in regular season conference play since the 2017-18 season.
• IUP has gone 48-4 (.923) in January since the 2017-18 season, including a 24-1 home mark in January games over that span.
• The Crimson Hawks knocked down 15 three-point field goals in an 81-73 victory at Seton Hill on January 24. IUP HC Joe Lombardi moved into a tie for third on the all-time PSAC men's basketball coaching wins list.
• Lombardi's 412th career victory matched Edinboro's Greg Walcavich (1990-2012), with the next victory securing sole possession of third overall.
• Ethan Porterfield flirted with a rare triple-double for IUP, posting 19 points (8-15 FG), 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Hawks against the Seton Hill zone defense.
• Porterfield's 19 points pushed him to seventh on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,631 career points, also collecting his 150th career block last time out against the Griffins. He is just five points shy of surpassing Ashton Smith (1,635) for sixth all-time.
• Garvin Clarke racked up 22 points (4-7 3FG), six rebounds, four assists and three steals in the victory. Clarke is the reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week, posting a combined 77 points in the last three games alone.
• IUP is 93-11 in its last 104 games at the KCAC.
• Lombardi is 29-7 lifetime against Slippery Rock, including 18-0 at home. Overall, IUP has won 32 straight games against SRU in Indiana, dating back to February 1992.
• Lombardi is 32-6 lifetime against Cal U, including 21 straight wins dating back to the 2013-14 season. Three of the last five victories for the Crimson Hawks against the Vulcans have come in the postseason, including last year's PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals.

 
 
SLIPPERY ROCK AT A GLANCE

• Slippery Rock got back above the .500 mark in PSAC play for the first time this season following a 64-54 victory against Clarion on January 24.
• The duo of Ike Herster (Gannon transfer) and Maceo Austin (Duquesne transfer) combined to score 40 of The Rock's 64 points with Herster pouring in a game-high 21 points and Austin adding 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and one block against the Golden Eagles.
• Head coach Ian Grady has retooled the SRU roster this season with an influx of talent via the transfer portal. Among those additions is Austin, the two-time reigning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week.
• Eight of SRU's nine losses have come by single digits this season, including three one-possession setbacks.
• SRU is third in the country in blocks/game (5.6), placing three individuals (Austin, Lashon Lindey and Sheick Samoura) among the top seven in the league in blocks/game.

 
CALIFORNIA (Pa.) AT A GLANCE

• The nationally-ranked Vulcans jumped out to a 15-point lead in the opening five minutes before cruising to a 95-74 triumph against UPJ on January 24. Jermaine Hall, Jr. scored a season-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including six-of-nine from beyond the arc to go along with seven rebounds, three assist and two steals.
• The Vulcans visit Mercyhurst on Saturday before visiting IUP on Monday, squaring off against two of the toughest defensive teams in the region.
• KJ McClurg is among the best players in the country, joining Porterfield on the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List earlier this season. McClurg is sixth in NCAA DII, averaging 23.2 points/game, also second in the league at 45.3% from beyond the arc.
• McClurg is one of several standouts for a deep and talented Vulcans squad under head coach Gary Sancomb. Five players average double figure scoring for Cal U, which ranks 18th nationally in scoring offense (87.3).
• Zayan Collins, a two-time All-PSAC West Second Team honoree that missed last season, is back in the mix for the Vulcans and contributing in a big way. He made his 100th start as a Vulcan last time out, averaging 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season.

 
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HOME COURT ADVANTAGE 

• Since the KCAC opened in the 2011-12 season, IUP has had an outstanding home court advantage to go along with a nationally prominent basketball program.
• Despite three setbacks this season, IUP boasts a 184-23 (.888) mark in home games since the venue opened, including postseason games.
• IUP has not lost more than four games at the KCAC in a season since the building opened.
• At the KCAC, the IUP men have won:
  • 17 of 18 games in 2022-2023 (17-1; lone loss in Atlantic Region Championship) 
  • 46 of their last 51 (46-5) 
  • 62 of their last 67 (62-5) 
  • 81 or their last 88 (81-7)
  • 93 of their last 104 (93-11)
  • 109 of their last 123 (109-14)

 
THAT'S A LOT OF WINS!

• Since the 2018-19 season, IUP has gone 135-15 (.899) overall during full playing seasons.
• Entering the season, only 11 DII men's basketball programs have posted at least 100 wins in the four-year span from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (excluding 2020-21).
• IUP went 32-2 last season, marking the team's fifth 30-win since 2009-10, the most of any team in the PSAC.

 
THE REIGNING, DEFENDING PSAC CHAMPIONS

• IUP won its fourth consecutive PSAC Championship with a 54-53 win against Mercyhurst at Shippensburg on March 5, 2023.
• It marked the 13th PSAC Tournament championship in program history and is seventh conference title under HC Joe Lombardi, the most among active PSAC coaches and the second most in conference history.
• IUP's 13 titles are second behind Cheyney's 15.
• Ethan Porterfield was named the PSAC Tournament MVP for the second consecutive season, helping the carry the Hawks to victory throughout the conference tournament.

 
CLARKE CARVING UP THE OPPOSITION  

• Stepping in as the team's starting point guard after transferring in from Akron, Garvin Clarke returned from a two-game absence on January 10. The PSAC West Player of the Week on December 11 and January 22, Clarke is third in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (+2.11).  
• Clarke has been a primary distributor for the Hawks, but has also taken more of a role in scoring the basketball with six outings of at least 20 points this season.  
• He ranks third in the league in assists/game (5.1) and third in steals/game (2.3), passing out a career-high nine helpers in an all-around effort against Mansfield on December 18, 2023.  
• Clarke helped guide IUP to a road win at UPJ with 27 points (11-22 FG), 10 rebounds, three assists and five steals in 40 minutes on January 17, 2024. He followed it up with another career scoring effort, notching 30 points (10-15 FG), four rebounds, six assists and two steals in 40 minutes against Edinboro.

 
RADFORD ENJOYING STORYBOOK RETURN TO INDIANA

• Bryce Radford returned to IUP in December 2023, playing with the program from 2020-22. He played the 2022-23 season at WVU tech and was not playing basketball as a full-time employee prior to rejoining the squad a few weeks ago.
• Radford made a big impact in his return to the KCAC, tying the school record with eight three-point field goals in a 78-48 win against Shepherd on January 3, 2024.
• The Beckley, W.Va. native has converted at least five triples in three of his initial seven games with the Crimson Hawks.
• Radford was part of the 2021-22 NCAA DII Final Four team that won the PSAC and Atlantic Region crowns with a 33-3 overall record.

 
STEWEY STEPPING IN SEAMLESSLY FOR IUP

• Jaylen Stewart, a transfer from Seton Hill, has taken on a larger role and emerged as a viable starting guard for the Crimson Hawks this season.
• Stewart is averaging just under 10 points/game this season, also third on the team with 32 assists.
• Stewart has started 11 conference games for IUP this season, averaging over 30 minutes/contest in that stretch.
• He fired in a career-high 25 points against Shepherd on January 3, playing at least 30 minutes in the last seven outings.

LOMBARDI AMONG THE ELITE COACHES IN ALL OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL

• Now in his 42nd overall season as a college coach, Joe Lombardi has been a central figure in elevating the IUP men's basketball program into one of the nation's best.
• Coaching his 18th season at the helm of the Crimson Hawks, Lombardi is the program's all-time leader in wins (412-113) with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven PSAC tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023), three Atlantic Region Championships (2010, 2015, 2022) and two Division II National Championship Game appearances (2010, 2015).
• He is one of four coaches in PSAC men's basketball history to reach at least 400 career wins, now one win shy of securing sole possession of third on the conference's all-time wins list.
• Lombardi ranks fifth among NCAA DII active head coaches in winning percentage (.785) with at least 10 years of experience and 15th among all-time among all NCAA divisions in winning percentage with at least 10 years of experience.

 
NCAA All Divisions All-Time Head Coach Win Percentage (min. 10 years' experience)
1. .858 -- Jim Crutchfield (West Liberty/Nova Southeastern) (509-84, 18 yrs) *
2. .834 – Mark Few (Gonzaga) (702-140, 24 yrs) *
3. .824 – Clair Bee (Rider/LIU Brooklyn) (412-88, 21 yrs)
4. .822 – Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) (876-190, 41 yrs)
5. .814 – Tom Brown (West Texas A&M) (253-58, 10 yrs) *
6. .811 – Bucky Harris (Jefferson) (240-56, 13 yrs)
7. .810 – Dolph Staley (Beloit) (238-56, 12 yrs)
8. .808 – Ben McCollum (Northwest Missouri State) (379-90, 14 yrs) *
8. .808 – Matt Logie (Whitworth/Point Loma/Montana State) (286-68, 13 yrs) *
10. .804 – John Wooden (Indiana State/UCLA) (664-162, 29 yrs)
11. .797 – John Kreese (College of Charleston) (400-108, 23 yrs)
12. .790 – Bob Bolen (Glenville State) (498-132, 20 yrs) *
13. .787 -- Josh Schertz (Indiana State (388-105, 16 yrs) *
13 .786 – Dave Robbins (Virginia Union) (713-194, 30 yrs)
15. .785 – Joe Lombardi (IUP) (412-113, 18 yrs) *
16. .784 – Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno St/Long Beach St/UNLV) (729-201, 31 yrs)
 
NCAA Division II Active Head Coach Winning Percentage (min. 10 years' experience)
1. .858 – Jim Crutchfield (West Liberty/Nova Southeastern) (509-84, 18 yrs)
2. .814 – Tom Brown (West Texas A&M) (253-58, 10 yrs)
3. .808 – Ben McCollum (Northwest Missouri State) (379-90, 14 yrs)
4. .790 – Bob Bolen (Glenville State (498-132, 20 yrs)
5. .785 – Joe Lombardi (IUP) (412-113, 18 yrs)
6. .758 – Jeff Young (Walsh) (449-143, 21 yrs)
 
PSAC Men's Basketball All-Time Coaching Victories
Note: Accounts for victories while coaching at a PSAC school only; UPJ transitioned from the WVIAC to the PSAC but all wins are reflected
1. 559 – Charles Chronister (Bloomsburg; 1972-2002)
2. 553 – Bob Rukavina (Pitt-Johnstown; 1989-Present) *
T3. 412 – Greg Walcavich (Edinboro; 1990-2012); 412—Joe Lombardi (IUP; 2006-Present) *
5. 393 – Jeff Wilson (East Stroudsburg; 2002-Present) *
6. 370 – Dick Delaney (West Chester; 1987-2008)
 
PORTERFIELD AMONG THE TOP PLAYERS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

• Ethan Porterfield is the most experienced starter on the IUP roster and has been a key contributor during the recent run of success the last few seasons. The two-time reigning conference tournament MVP, Porterfield has won 103 collegiate games during his tenure with the Hawks.
• Porterfield reached 1,500 career points during IUP's win against Mansfield on December 18. He is one of just four players in program history with at least 1,500 points and 700 rebounds.
• This season, Porterfield ranks near the top of the PSAC in several statistical areas, including: points per game (10th; 17.3), rebounds per game (3rd; 8.8), double-doubles (2nd; 7), minutes/game (4th; 36:34) and total three-point field goals made (5th; 42).
• Now in his fourth season as a full-time starter, Porterfield has battled past injury and illness over the last few months to put together a storied career with the Crimson Hawks. He is among the top 15 in program history in several categories, including points (7th), field goals made (5th), three-point field goals made (7th), rebounds (6th) and blocks (3rd).

RECORD BOOK WATCH
Career Points
3. 1,715 – Robert Misenko (1992-96)
4. 1,678 – Brandon Norfleet (2012-16*)
5. 1,655 – Julian Sanders (2008-12)
6. 1,635 – Ashton Smith (2008-12)
7. 1,631 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
8. 1,621 – Eddie Peterson (2002-06)
9. 1,603 -- Dante Lombardi (2015-19)
10. 1,564 -- Jack Crossan (1952-56)
11. 1,544 – Armoni Foster (2018-22)


Career Field Goals Made
1. 708 – Darryl Webb (2007-11)
2. 661 – Derrick Freeman (1993-96)
3. 653 – Jack Crossan (1952-56)
4. 651 – Jacobo Diaz (2015-19)
5. 611 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
6. 585 – Sam Scott (1977-82)
7. 578 – Gary Lupek (1966-69)
T8. 572 – Randy Allen (1971-74); 572 – Eddie Peterson (2002-06)

Career Three-Point Field Goals Made
5. 229 – Anthony Glover Jr. (2015-18)
6. 203 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
7. 200 – Malik Miller (2016-20)
8. 195 -- Geoff Evans (1998-01)
9. 187 -- Aaron Faulkner (1999-02)
10. 181 -- Eddie Peterson (2002-06)
11. 164 -- Devante Chance (2011-15)
 
Career Rebounds
5. 826 – Robert Misenko (1992-96)
6. 778 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Present)
7. 738 – Sam Scott (1977-82)
8. 672 -- Mike Mitten (1977-81)
9. 653 -- Tom Kerstetter (1969-72)
10. 632 -- Bob Bence (1962-66)

Career Blocks
1. 207 -- Devon Cottrell (2012-17)
2. 162 -- Darryl Webb (2007-11)
3. 150 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
 
Three-Pointers Made (Game)
T1. 8 -- John Sanow; Edinboro (2/18/87)
T1. 8 -- Geoff Evans; Strayer (2/3/01)
T1. 8 -- Dante Lombardi; E. Stroudsburg (1/16/19)
T1. 8 – Bryce Radford; Shepherd (1/3/24)
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB. 
 

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