CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The IUP men's basketball team opens its 2024-25 season with the MEC/PSAC Tip Off Challenge, taking place November 8-9 at the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Hawks face Glenville State on November 8 at 5:00 p.m. and Charleston (W.Va.) on November 9 at 2:00 p.m. closing out the tournament.

The tip off challenge will also include a 7:00 p.m. game against California (Pa.) and Charleston (W.Va.) on November 8. On Saturday, November 9, the other game will be at 12:00 p.m. against Charleston (W.Va.) and Glenville State.
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL  
IUP (0-0) vs. Glenville State (0-0)   
Friday, November 8 – 5:00 p.m. – Wehrle Innovation Center –Charleston, W.Va. – 2024 MEC/PSAC Tip Off Challenge
Game Coverage: Live Video (Mountain East Tv) – Live Stats – Tickets
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
IUP vs. Charleston (W.Va.)
Saturday, November 9 – 2:00 p.m. -- Wehrle Innovation Center –Charleston, W.Va. – 2024 MEC/PSAC Tip Off Challenge
Game Coverage: Live Video (Mountain East Tv) – Live Stats – Tickets
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
 
COMING UP
IUP at Tiffin
Saturday, November 16 – 7:30 p.m. – Kates Gymnasium– Ashland, Ohio

THE GAME AT A GLANCE 
The IUP men's basketball team opens the 2024-2025 season on the road at Charleston WV with a neutral site matchup with the MEC quarterfinal runner up Glenville State Pioneers on Friday, November 8. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m.

TIPOFF NOTES 

• IUP men's basketball team was selected fourth in this year's PSAC West preseason coaches' poll, the lowest in eight years.
• Head coach Joe Lombardi (417-121) is set for his 19th season as head coach for the Crimson Hawks. 
• Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks looked into the transfer portal to fill the gaps from nine departures from last season, adding three new transfers and four freshman recruits.
• • A key returnee for the Crimson Hawks is senior guard Dallis Dillard. The New York native was on track for a breakout year averaging 15.8 PPG 6.3 RPG and 2.4 APG in 2023 until a season ending injury occurred ten games into the season, sidelining him for the remainder of his junior season year. 
• Redshirt-Junior Damir Brooks provides the veteran leadership that the Hawks need on the court, bringing the most experience to guide the new freshman. 
• The three transfers include Mercyhurst transfer Luke Triggs, New Hampshire transfer Christian Moore, and transfer from Albany Tech Community College, Alfonso Pickens Jr. 
• Mercyhurst transfer Luke Triggs played in 49 games for the Lakers, coming off the bench in each game. Triggs was efficient from the field shooting 53.8% from the field, 38.9% from three and 78.9% from the free throw line in his sophomore season.  
• New Hampshire transfer Christian Moore provides important depth for the Crimson Hawks. Playing in 39 games in his sophomore season, the former wildcat will bring an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball.
• Albany Tech Community College transfer Alfonso Pickens Jr. is in his second tenure in the PSAC conference, beginning his collegiate career in Gannon, transferring to NJCAA Albany Tech Community College and now for IUP. The guard from Erie averaged 4.9 PPG and 1.2 RPG for the Albany Tech Titans. 
• The four freshmen recruited in the class of 2024-25 are Kymani Merraro, Ian Herring, Bautista Rodriguez and Tyler Grove. All four are expected to get valuable minutes for the new generation of Crimson Hawks. 

GLENVILLE STATE AT A GLANCE

• Selected sixth in the MEC preseason poll, second year head coach Bob Bolen is looking to go back to the MEC tournament after the Pioneers fell to the second seeded West Liberty Hilltoppers in the MEC quarterfinals.
• Jordan "Turbo" Smith earned the honor of All-MEC Second Team and transfer Devin Collins was awarded with Honorable Mention. 
• Glenville St looks to its bench for production, which averaged 32.60 bench PPG in 2023-24 which was 2nd in the MEC and 15th nationally. 
• The Pioneers also crashed the glass on both ends of the court. Averaging 13.07 offensive rebounds per game and 28.63 defensive rebounds per game in the 2023-24 season. Both statistics ranked 2nd in the MEC. 

CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE

• A new face in the head coaching position as James Long was announced as head men's basketball coach for the Golden Eagles.
• Looking to make it back to the NCAA tournament after making a deep playoff run that ultimately fell to the PSAC champions, the #3 ranked Gannon Golden Knights in the sweet sixteen.
• Charleston was extremely efficient from the field, ranking first nationally in field goal percentage (51.9%) 
• The Golden Eagles had comfortable leads in many of their games in the 2023-24 season. Average a scoring margin of 14.1, which is second in the MEC and sixth in the nation. 

SERIES HISTORY

• IUP will be facing the Pioneers for the sixth time in program history. The Crimson Hawks lead the series 4-1 with the last matchup being in 2015. 
• On March 14, 2015, five Crimson Hawks scored double digits to lead the third-seeded Crimson Hawks over the MEC champion Pioneers 73-53.
• This win over Glenville St marked the 200th career win for Joe Lombardi, becoming the fastest coach in program history to reach this prestigious mark and the second quickest to reach 200 wins in PSAC history, behind hall of fame Millersville head coach John Kochan. 

THAT'S A LOT OF WINS! 

• Since the 2018-19 season, IUP has gone 140-23 (.858) 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.

LOMBARDI AMONG TOP COACHES IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL

• Now in his 43rd 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 19th season at the helm of the Crimson Hawks, Lombardi is the program's all-time leader in wins (417-121) 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, ranking third on the conference's all-time wins list. 
• Lombardi ranks fifth among NCAA DII active head coaches in winning percentage (.775) with at least 10 years of experience and in the top 20 among all-time among all NCAA divisions in winning percentage with at least 10 years of experience.

FOLLOW  
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.