INDIANA, Pa. — The Indiana (Pa.) men's basketball team returns home Wednesday night for a pivotal Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference matchup against California (Pa.) inside the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Crimson Hawks are coming off a road win at Clarion, where they erased an 11-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Golden Eagles 44-28 in the second half. IUP has been dominant at home this season, posting an 8-1 record while averaging 87.4 points per game at the KCAC.
California (Pa.) enters the contest with momentum, having won nine of its last 10 games. The Vulcans are 13-5 overall and 10-1 in PSAC play, and they most recently earned an 86-75 road victory at Slippery Rock. Cal has also won three of its last four games away from home.
IUP is led offensively by redshirt senior Dallis Dillard, who averages a team-high 19.5 points per game and has recorded four 25-point performances this season. Dillard also leads the PSAC in steals with 48 and ranks among the top 10 in Division II, averaging 3.0 per game. He is on the watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, presented annually to the top player in small-college basketball.
The Crimson Hawks have leaned on aggressive defense throughout the season, recording nine games with 10 or more steals and going 8-1 in those contests. IUP ranks fourth in the PSAC in steals per game (9.5) and second in turnover margin (+3.75). Damir Brooks ranks fifth in the conference in blocked shots with 21.
Offensively, IUP ranks sixth in the PSAC in field-goal percentage (.481) and leads the conference in 3-point shooting (.383). Senior guard Christian Moore has been a consistent scoring presence, reaching double figures in all but one game this season and averaging 16.9 points per game.
California (Pa.) is paced by redshirt sophomore Antoine Arnett, who averages 17.8 points per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Redshirt junior Bryson Lucas adds 16.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, giving the Vulcans a balanced inside-out attack.
The two teams split their meetings during the 2024-25 season. IUP earned an 84-76 win at home, while Cal secured a 78-74 victory in California. The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time series 58-44 and have won seven of the last 10 matchups.
Head coach Joe Lombardi is in his 20th season at IUP and ranks among the top five active Division II coaches with 444 career wins, including 275 in PSAC play. His 444 victories are the most in program history.
