INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball program concludes the 2025 regular season on the road against Clarion, Friday, February 28. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (13-14, 8-11 PSAC) at Clarion (11-14, 6-13 PSAC)
Friday, February 28 - 7:30 PM – Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium – Clarion, Pa.
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 TBD
Monday, March 3 – PSAC Championship First Round - TBD
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)

IUP TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Hawks are averaging 73.4 PPG, 36.9 RPG, 12.1 APG, 7.2 SPG, and 3.6 BPG.
>> IUP is shooting .444 from the field, .326 beyond the arc, and .710 from the free throw line.
>> The top three scorers for IUP include Christian Moore (17.4 PPG), Kymani Merraro (15.0 PPG) and Tyler Grove (11.4 PPG).
>> Freshmen Tyler Grove and Kymani Merraro have started all 27 games this season for the Crimson Hawks.
>> Redshirt Junior Guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2.
>> Brooks is ranked fifth in the PSAC in blocked shots, recording 45 in 27 games.
>> Three IUP players have posted over 30 steals this season, including Ian Herring (47), Moore (40), and Merraro (36). 
>> Herring and Moore are ranked in the top 25 in total steals across the PSAC at fifth and 15th respectively.
>> Merraro hit the game-winning three pointer against Seton Hill on January 18th.
>> Merraro ranks fourth in the PSAC in total assists, recording a grand total of 122 so far this season, averaging 4.5 per game.   
>> Freshman Guard Ian Herring was named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on January 21. 
>> IUP plays significantly better at home this season, recording 10 of their 14 wins at home.
>> The Hawks have struggled on the road, winning just two of 10 games on the road.
>> The Hawks are 11-3 when leading at halftime.
>> IUP is 12-5 when they shoot better than their opponent and 1-9 when they shoot worse.
>> With Moore, Merraro, Grove, Brooks, and Furtun as starters, IUP's record is 11-9.
>> Five games this season have been decided by less than three points. With IUP being 3-2 in those contests.

CLARION AT A GLANCE
 The Golden Eagles are currently on a four gaming losing skid, recently dropping their recent matchup 83-72 at Slippery Rock. Clarion ranks second in the PSAC in team 3PT FG% with .369. Clarion is currently averaging 76.0 PPG, 34.9 RPG, 14.1 APG, 7.0 SPG, and 4.2 BPG.  The leader in assists in the PSAC is the Junior from Gainesville, Virginia, Trey Nelson. Averaging 5.6 APG and racking up 139 total assists on the year, Nelson ensures that his teammate Cam Kearney is able to score without issue. Kearney is averaging 21.3 PPG which puts him first in scoring in the PSAC. 


PREVIOUS CONTEST VERSUS CLARION
IUP's last game against Clarion was nearly a month ago at home on January 25, where they pulled out am 84-57 victory. IUP was leading by nine points after the first and came out stronger in the second half with seven made three pointers. Overall, IUP shot .516 from the field and made 12 three pointers. Moore led the charge 23 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Grove followed also with a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. On the day, IUP totaled 10 steals and scored 21 points off turnovers. For Clarion, they shot .340 from the field and .300 beyond the arc. Cam Kearney led the charge with 17 points and was followed by Kendon Peebles with 12. Overall, IUP leads the series with three times more wins than Clarion. Prior to IUP's regular season finale of 2024, IUP was on a 25-game winning streak until it was snapped by Clarion. Their most recent matchup in January they won, 84-57.

STANDOUT MOORE
Christian Moore, a transfer from New Hampshire, has led the team in scoring on 14 occasions, nine of which were above 20 points. His highest-scoring game came against Tiffin where he scored 26 points and shot .571 from the field. Moore is averaging 33.7 MPG, 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and has tallied 40 steals.

FRESHMEN ON THE RISE
Kymani Merraro has made an impressive start to his collegiate career, carving his role as a generous ball handler, Merraro leads the Crimson Hawks in assists, logging 122 so far on the season. Averaging 4.5 APG., this impressive feat ranks Merraro fifth in assists in the PSAC.Tyler Grove has proved himself as a key starter for Lombardi's team. The 6'7 freshman has started all the games this season for the Crimson Hawks averaging 11.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG while playing 27.8 MPG. Ian Herring has proved himself as a valuable sixth man for the Crimson Hawks with his unrelentless defensive skills. Herring leads the team in steals with a total of 47. On January 21, Herring was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for his rigorous efforts against Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill as he combined for eight blocks, five steals, and 17 rebounds.  

ELITE HAWK DEFENSE 
Coach Lombardi has emphasized the importance of defense and his players have been producing superbly when compared to the rest of the PSAC. Ranked fourth in total defense, the Crimson Hawk's opponents average only 72.4 PPG and have allowed the sixth least points through the season at 1,956. Lombardi's defense has also been extremely problematic for opponents trying to get the ball into the net. Ranked sixth in the PSAC in Opponent FG Percentage, the Crimson Hawks keep their opponents to an average of .436 FG% per game. 

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Blocks: Brooks (45), Herring (16), Grove (14), Triggs (9)
Steals: Herring (47), Moore (40), Merraro (36), Brooks (26)

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 (430-135) 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 (.761) with at least 10 years of experience and in the top 20 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.