INDIANA, Pa. – IUP men's basketball looks to pick up some momentum going into the playoffs, visiting No. 8/8 California (Pa.) on Wednesday, February 28. Tipoff from the Convocation Center is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Live video coverage will be provided on the PSAC Digital Network (CUTV), along with live audio on U92.5FM with the Voice of the Hawks, Jack Benedict.
 
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (16-10, 13-7 PSAC) at No. 8/8 California (Pa.) (23-3, 17-3)   
Wednesday, February 28 – 7:30 p.m. – Convocation Center – California, 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 could not maintain control from a fast start in an 81-62 loss to Slippery Rock last weekend. It marked the second loss in a row for the Crimson Hawks, who are looking to refocus for the final week of the regular season and into the playoffs.
• Garvin Clarke racked up a career-high 30 points in a double-double showing against SRU.
• Clarke is the only player in NCAA DII to average at least 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists, ranking 16th nationally in assists, 11th in the conference in scoring and eighth in the league in rebounding.
• Ethan Porterfield battled through illness for 10 points, four rebounds and five assists at Slippery Rock. The Crimson Hawks struggles shooting from the outside against a talented SRU lineup without Maceo Austin, going just 3-for-18 from distance.
• Porterfield will surpass IUP Hall of Famer Darryl Webb with his 127th career game on Wednesday against the Vulcans. His next block will also tie Webb for second in program history (162).
• IUP was not listed in the initial NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings release, which ultimately determine the teams selected to the NCAA Tournament. The first listing is arranged alphabetically, while all others will be listed in numerical order.
• California (Pa.) has won five games in a row and moved to a consensus number eight national ranking in both major polls (NABC, D2CSC). The Vulcans latest ranking is their highest in the national polls this season.
• Porterfield is ninth among active DII men's basketball players in career points (1,840), seventh in rebounds (855) and sixth in blocks (161). Porterfield is one of just 26 active DII players with at least 1,500 career points and 600 rebounds.
• IUP is 36-11 (.766) in February games since the start of the 2017-18 season.
• Cal U snapped a 21-game losing streak to IUP with a 65-57 victory at the KCAC in January. The Vulcans held off a second half push from IUP and used clutch foul shooting down the stretch to emerge with the hard-fought win.
• IUP HC Joe Lombardi is 32-7 lifetime against California. That mark includes a 12-1 record against the Vulcans' fifth-year head coach Danny Sancomb.

 
CALIFORNIA (PA) AT A GLANCE

• Cal U rose one spot to number eight in the NABC Poll this week, now ranked nationally for 11 consecutive weeks.
• The Vulcans (23-3) extended their winning streak to five games last week and have won 10 of their last 11 games. Cal completed its first-ever series sweep of Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday by claiming an 86-71 victory on the road after scoring nearly 60 points inside the paint.
• The Vulcans then cruised to an 83-60 win on Senior Day against Mercyhurst on Saturday with all five starters scoring in double-digits.
• KJ McClurg leads the PSAC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring (22.7) as part of an experienced starting lineup for the Vulcans.

 
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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 five setbacks this season, IUP boasts a 186-26 (.877) mark in home games since the venue opened, including postseason games.
• IUP has not lost more than six 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) 
  • 48 of their last 56 (48-8) 
  • 64 of their last 72 (64-8) 
  • 83 or their last 93 (83-10)
  • 95 of their last 109 (95-14)
  • 111 of their last 128 (111-17)

 
THAT'S A LOT OF WINS!

• Since the 2018-19 season, IUP has gone 139-20 (.874) 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 fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (+2.17).  
• Clarke has been a primary distributor for the Hawks, but has also taken more of a role in scoring the basketball, moving to sixth in the league in points/game (18.5).
• He leads the league in assists/game (5.4) and ranks third in steals/game (2.2), 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 in the first meeting between the teams.
• His 30 points at Slippery Rock matched his career high in another strong all-around outing.

 
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. He later set the school record for three-point baskets in a game, converting nine times from beyond the arc against Slippery Rock in the first meeting of 2023-24.
• The Beckley, W.Va. native has converted at least four triples seven times this season 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 50 assists. He handed out nine assists against his former school last time out on February 21 at the KCAC.
• Stewart has started all 19 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 10 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 (416-118) 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 (.779) 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.

 
NCAA Division II Active Head Coach Winning Percentage (min. 10 years' experience)
1. .860 – Jim Crutchfield (West Liberty/Nova Southeastern) (517-84, 18 yrs)
2. .816  Tom Brown (West Texas A&M) (261-59, 10 yrs)
3. .811 – Ben McCollum (Northwest Missouri State) (387-90, 14 yrs)
4. .783 – Bob Bolen (Glenville State (501-139, 20 yrs)
5. .779  – Joe Lombardi (IUP) (416-118, 18 yrs)
6. .758 – Jeff Young (Walsh) (455-144, 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. 554 – Bob Rukavina (Pitt-Johnstown; 1989-Present) *
3. 416—Joe Lombardi (IUP; 2006-Present) *
4. 412 – Greg Walcavich (Edinboro; 1990-2012)
5. 401 – 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 111 collegiate games during his tenure with the Hawks.
• Porterfield has been named to three different watch lists this season, earning a spot on the Bevo Francis Top 100, Top 50 and the Trevor Hudgins Top 25 (top four-year career).
• 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 (5th; 19.5), rebounds per game (3rd; 8.7), double-doubles (2nd; 10), minutes/game (3rd; 37:07) and total three-point field goals made (4th; 65).
• 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 (2nd), field goals made (2nd), three-point field goals made (6th), rebounds (5th) and blocks (3rd) and games played (7th).

RECORD BOOK WATCH
Career Points
1. 1,949 – Darryl Webb (2007-11)
2. 1,840 – Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
3. 1,747 – Jacobo Diaz (2015-19)
4. 1,715 – Robert Misenko (1992-96)
5. 1,678 – Brandon Norfleet (2012-16*)
 
Career Field Goals Made
1. 708 – Darryl Webb (2007-11)
2. 686 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
3. 661 – Derrick Freeman (1993-96)
4. 653 – Jack Crossan (1952-56)
5. 651 – Jacobo Diaz (2015-19)
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. 225 -- 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
1. 1,214 – Darryl Webb (2007-11)
2. 1,015 – Jacobo Diaz (2015-19)
3. 881 – Garry Lupek (1966-69)
4. 877 – Lee McCollough (1968-71)
5. 855 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Present)
6. 826 – Robert Misenko (1992-96)
7. 738 – Sam Scott (1977-82)

Career Blocks
1. 207 -- Devon Cottrell (2012-17)
2. 162 -- Darryl Webb (2007-11)
3. 161 -- Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
 
Career Games Played
4. 127 -- Ashton Smith (2008-12); Devante Chance (2011-15)
6. 126 – Darryl Webb (2007-11); 126 – Ethan Porterfield (2019-Pres)
8. 124 – Julian Sanders (2008-12); Jacobo Diaz (2015-19)
 
Three-Pointers Made (Game)
1. 9 – Bryce Radford; Slippery Rock (1/27/24)
T2. 8 -- John Sanow; Edinboro (2/18/87)
T2. 8 -- Geoff Evans; Strayer (2/3/01)
T2. 8 -- Dante Lombardi; E. Stroudsburg (1/16/19)
T2. 8 – Bryce Radford; Shepherd (1/3/24)
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB. 
 

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