INDIANA, Pa. -- The IUP men's basketball program looks to bounce back in PSAC play, this time against the Clarion Golden Eagles at home on January 25th at 3:00 p.m.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (9-9, 5-6 PSAC) vs. Clarion (9-8, 4-7 PSAC)
Saturday, January 25 - 3:00 p.m. - Indiana, Pa. - KCAC
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
Media Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) - Live Stats (Stat Broadcast) - Radio (U92.5FM)

COMING UP
IUP at California (Pa.)
Wednesday, January 29 - 7:30 PM - Convocation Center - California, Pa.
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)

IUP TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Hawks are currently averaging 73.0 PPG, 37.1 RPG, 11.8 APG, 7.5 SPG, and 3.8 BPG.
>> IUP is shooting .446 from the field, .328 beyond the arc, and .698 from the free throw line.
>> The top three shooters for the Hawks are Damir Brooks (.596 FG), Ian Herring (.514 FG), and Tyler Grove (.424 FG).
>> Freshmen Tyler Grove and Kymani Merraro have started all 18 games this season for the Crimson Hawks.
>> Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2nd.
>> Brooks is also ranked 4th in the PSAC in blocked shots, recording 32 in 18 games.
>> IUP has three players with 20+ steals, including Ian Herring (32), Christian Moore (25) and Kymani Merraro (23). 
>> Herring, Moore, and Merraro rank 7th, 19th, and 23rd respectively in the PSAC in steals.
>> 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 January 18th. 
>> Freshman Guard Ian Herring named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on January 21st. 
>> IUP plays significantly better at home this season, recording seven of their nine wins in the KCAC, including all five of their conference wins.
>> The Hawks have struggled on the road, winning just two of their five away games. 
>> IUP has a negative scoring margin of -54 when on the road compared to a positive margin of +63 at home.
>> The Hawks are 7-1 when 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 8-5.
>> Four games this season have been decided by less than three points.

CLARION AT A GLANCE
Tying their highest winning season since the 2021-22 season, coach Damian Pitts led his team to a 97-87 victory against Slippery Rock to reach their ninth win of the season on January 18th. Cam Kearney, the junior from Virginia Beach leads the Golden Eagles in scoring and rebounds at 21.9 and 6.1 respectively. Junior, Trey Nelson is extremely generous with the ball, recording 95 assists so far this season, this play making skill lands him as the assists leader in the PSAC. As a team, the Golden Eagles aggressively protect the rim, averaging 4.2 blocks per game, ranking third in the PSAC.The Golden Eagles also efficiently shoot from deep, ranking first in the PSAC in three point percentage at 37.3% . 

SERIES HISTORY
IUP leads the overall series history 122-58, the last matchup between the two teams saw the snap of a Crimson Hawk twenty-five game win streak against the Golden Eagles in a 62-59 heartbreaking loss. After being up by two points at half time, the Golden Eagles went on a late run that pushed them over the top in the season finale of the 2023-24 season. 

STANDOUT MOORE
Christian Moore, a transfer from New Hampshire, has led the team in scoring on nine occasions, six of which were above 20 points. His highest-scoring game came against Tiffin where he scored 26 points, shot 57.1% from the field, and made four three-pointers. Moore is averaging 33.7 minutes per game, 16.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and has tallied 25 steals, with five steals coming from one game against Lock Haven.

BROOKS BREAKOUT
Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2nd for his defensive efforts against Lincoln. Brooks has blown his previous years stats out of the water, currently ranked 6th in the PSAC and leading the team in rebounding averaging 7.8, and recording six double-doubles this season and having five games with a minimum of three blocks. 

FRESHMEN ON THE RISE
Merraro has made an impressive start to his collegiate career, scoring fifteen or more points in nine games, three of them in the past three games, with career highs of 21 points against USC Beaufort and Thiel. He has also led the team in assists eleven times this season, including four games with 7+ assists, totaling 78 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 seventh in the PSAC for steals per game (1.8). Herring has recorded sixteen steals and nine blocks in the last five games. On January 21st, Herring was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for his diligent defensive efforts against Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill. 

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 (426-130) 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 (.766) 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.

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 seven setbacks last season, IUP boasts a 194-29 (.872) mark in home games since the venue opened, including postseason games. IUP has not lost more than seven games at the KCAC in a season since the building opened.
At the KCAC, the IUP men have won:
    >> 7 of 9 games in 2024-25 (7-2)
    >> 11 of 18 games in 2023-24 (11-7)
    >> 17 of 18 games in 2022-23 (17-1; lone loss in Atlantic Region Championship) 
    >> 21 of 22 games in 2021-22 (21-1)
    >> 2 of 2 games in 2020-21 (2-0)
    >> 16 of 16 games in 2019-20 (16-0)
    >> 19 of 21 games in 20218-19 (19-2)

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Blocks: Brooks (32), Herring (12), Furtun (8), Grove (7), Triggs (7)
Steals: Herring (33), Moore (26), Merraro (25), Brooks (18)

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