INDIANA, Pa. -- The IUP men's basketball program returns to road action traveling to Slippery Rock on Wednesday, January 22 for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff inside Morrow Field House.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (9-8, 5-5 PSAC) vs. Slippery Rock (10-9, 6-5 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 22 - 7:30 p.m. - Slippery Rock, Pa. - Morrow Field House
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
Media Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) - Live Stats (Stat Broadcast) - Radio (U92.5FM)

The Slippery Rock University Athletic Communication Office and WKBN-TV will partner for a live television broadcast of Rock Basketball's White Out Night doubleheader against Indiana University (Pa.). The Slippery Rock Athletic Communication Office will also simulcast the WKBN-TV broadcast on the Rock Athletics Digital Network and the PSAC Sports Digital Network, allowing fans access to the game through their normal viewing outlets if they are not in the Youngstown market. The games will air live on the following channels for viewers in the Youngstown, Ohio TV markets:

•     Streaming LIVE on WKBN.com
•     Digital over the air at 33.2 or 62.2 HD
•     Armstrong Cable Channel 13 or 108
•     Comcast Cable Channel 3
•     Direct TV Channel 15
•     Spectrum Channel 997 or 1008
•     Hulu TV
•     YouTube TV
•     Fubo TV

COMING UP
IUP vs. Clarion
Saturday, January 25 - 3:00 PM - KCAC - Indiana, Pa.
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)

IUP TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Hawks are currently averaging 73.5 PPG, 36.8 RPG, 11.9 APG, 7.6 SPG, and 3.9 BPG.
>> IUP is shooting .453 from the field, .334 beyond the arc, and .700 from the free throw line.
>> Top shooters for the Hawks are Damir Brooks (.607 FG), Ian Herring (.515 FG), and Kymani Merraro (.429 FG).
>> Freshman Tyler Grove and Kymani Merraro have started all 17 games this season, and Ian Herring has made appearances in all.
>> Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2.
>> Freshman Ian Herring was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on January 21.
>> IUP has three players with 20+ steals, including Ian Herring (32), Christian Moore (25) and Kymani Merraro (23). All three rank in the PSAC's top 25 in steals per game.
>> Over the past five games, Herring has totaled 17 steals and five blocks. He currently ranks sixth in the PSAC averaging 1.9 SPG.
>> Against UPJ, Grove led the Hawks with 22 points and shot .750 from the field.
>> Freshman Merraro hit the game-winning three pointer against Seton Hill on Saturday. 
>> IUP has played slightly better at home this season, winning seven of nine games in the KCAC, including five conference wins.
>> The Hawks have struggled on the road, winning just two of six games.
>> The Hawks are 7-0 when they are leading at halftime.
>> IUP is 9-4 when they shoot better than their opponent and 0-4 when they shoot worse.
>> With Moore, Merraro, Grove, Brooks, and Furtun as starters, IUP's record is 8-4.
>> Four games this season have been decided by less than three points.

SLIPPERY ROCK AT A GLANCE
Slippery Rock is 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the conference, currently ranked second in the PSAC West. They are 2-3 against PSAC West opponents. Slippery Rock is currently on a two game losing streak, they came against Gannon and Clarion. They fell to Clarion on Saturday, 97-87 at Clarion, despite both teams scoring 50+ points in the second half. They shot .455 from the field and .304 beyond the arc. They made 20-of-23 free throw attempts. Jomo Goings led with 20 points and he made all nine free throw attempts. He also led the team with three blocks and had one steal. The team began the season with a five game losing streak that was snapped by a seven game win streak, but dropped their previous two games.

This is Ian Grady's seventh year as a head coach for Slippery Rock and his 16th overall season inside the program. He was a grad assistant from 2009-11 and an assistant coach from 2012-18.

Slippery Rock is currently averaging 77.7 PPG, 37.8 RPG, 13.4 APG, 10.8 SPG, and 4.6 BPG. They are shooting .432 from the field, .287 beyond the arc, and .753 from the free throw line. Three players are averaging around 15.0 PPG. Goings averages 17.2 PPG, Maceo Austin averages 16.3 PPG, and Ike Herster averages 14.9 PPG. Goings leads the team with 46 steals and O'Meech Wilson leads with 17 blocks. Two players have earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week this season.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the teams 198th overall meeting with IUP leading the series with 117 wins. The most recent meeting was February of 2024 where Slippery Rock broke an eight game losing streak. IUP lost 81-62. Damir Brooks and Sarp Furtun each saw 10 minutes of action, Furtun had three blocks, and Brooks had a steal. Both returners for Slippery Rock, Goings and Herster each scored 20 points, and totaled four steals and two blocks.

STANDOUT MOORE
Christian Moore, a transfer from New Hampshire, has led the team in scoring on eight occasions, six of which were above 20 points. His highest-scoring game came against Tiffin where he scored 26 points, shot .571 from the field, and made four three-pointers. Moore is averaging 33.6 minutes per game, 3.6 RPG, 16.8 PPG, and has tallied 25 steals with five coming against Lock Haven.

BROOKS NAMED PSAC WEST DEF. ATH. OF THE WEEK
Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2 for his defensive efforts against Lincoln. 

Brooks has also been climbing the rankings among the PSAC, currently ranked eighth in rebounds per game (7.6) and fourth in blocks per game (1.6). He has led the team in rebounds nine times and blocks 10 times this season. Brooks has had five double-digit rebounding games and has had five double-doubles.

FRESHMAN ON THE RISE
Merraro has made an impressive start to his collegiate career, scoring 15 or more points in eight games, with a high of 21 points against USC Beaufort and Thiel. He has also led the team in assists 11 times this season, including four games with 7+ assists, totaling 76 assists overall.

Grove had a standout performance against UPJ, scoring 17 points in the first half and shooting 7-for-9. He has reached 15+ points in four games and recorded a career-high five steals against Edinboro.

Herring has been a defensive powerhouse, ranking sixth in the PSAC for steals per game (1.9). He has posted four steals in four games, with a total of 17 steals over the last five games. He is also second on the team in blocks, with 11 total, including four in each of the previous two matchups.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Blocks: Brooks (31), Herring (11), Furtun (7), Grove (7), Triggs (7)
Steals: Herring (32), Moore (25), Merraro (23), Brooks (18)

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 (426-129) 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 third among NCAA DII active head coaches in winning percentage (.767) 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.