INDIANA, Pa. — The IUP men's basketball team looks to bounce back in its first home game in two weeks when it hosts the Edinboro Fighting Scots on Thursday at the Kovalchick Complex.
The Crimson Hawks are coming off a loss at nationally ranked Gannon on Saturday. IUP has won three of its last five games and enters the matchup with a 7-1 record at home, including 5-1 in KCAC play. Edinboro has dropped three of its last four contests and sits at 8-8 overall, including 0-3 against PSAC West opponents.
Redshirt senior Dallis Dillard leads IUP and ranks third in Division II with 45 steals, averaging 3.21 per game. Dillard has recorded four 25-point games this season, including a career-high 31 against Pitt-Johnstown. He is the only player in the nation averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per game.
Senior guard Christian Moore has been a consistent scoring threat, averaging more than 16 points per game. Moore scored 24 points in each of IUP's last two contests, shooting nearly 50% from the floor and 47% from 3-point range. Sophomore Kymani Merraro, the 2025 PSAC Freshman of the Year, also averages double figures.
The Crimson Hawks' depth has been key this season, with 11 players averaging double-digit minutes. IUP has committed fewer turnovers than it has forced in every game and ranks fifth in the PSAC in field-goal percentage, shooting 45% or better in nine of 14 games.
IUP head coach Joe Lombardi, in his 20th season, ranks among the top five active Division II coaches in wins with 442 and holds a .759 winning percentage, the most victories in program history.
Edinboro is led by freshman guard Rowan Carmichael, who is averaging 17.2 points per game. The Fighting Scots have four players averaging more than 23 minutes per contest and six averaging at least 19 minutes. The team has won four of nine PSAC games, all against East Division opponents.
IUP holds a 24-9 edge in the last 19 games against Edinboro dating back to 2019, but has dropped the last two meetings. Senior guard Christian Moore averaged 16.5 points in last season's two games against the Fighting Scots.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
