GAME 30 NCAA ATLANTIC REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

IUP (22-7 | PSAC SEMIFINALIST) vs FAIRMONT STATE (26-5 |  MEC RUNNER-UP)
Saturday,  March 14, 2026 | 12:00 p.m.
Erie, Pa | Highmark Events Center

Stream: NCAA.com
Radio: U92.5 FM with Mark Bertig and Tony Coccagna


THE GAME AT A GLANCE
After a two-year hiatus, the IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball is back in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament for the 20th time in program history. The Crimson Hawks reached the final weekend of the PSAC Men's Basketball Tournament but fell to the Gannon Golden Knights men's basketball in the semifinals.

IUP will return to Erie and the Highmark Events Center for the second consecutive weekend, this time hoping to extend its stay. The Crimson Hawks are led by Dallis Dillard, the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Dillard is the only player in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference averaging more than 20 points per game this season.

TIP OFF NOTES
>> Joe Lombardi is in his 20th season leading the IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball. The program has reached the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament 13 times in the last 17 years, including a run to the Final Four in 2022.
>> Redshirt senior Dallis Dillard was named PSAC West Athlete of the Year and D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Dillard is the only player in the PSAC averaging more than 20 points per game.
>> Two more Crimson Hawks earned all-conference honors, as senior Christian Moore was named first-team All-PSAC and 2025 PSAC Freshman of the Year Kymani Merraro was selected to the second team.
>> This marks the fourth meeting between the IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball and the Fairmont State Falcons men's basketball in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. The most recent tournament matchup came in 2017, when the Falcons defeated IUP on its home court.
>> As stated earlier, the IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball are no strangers to March, winning the PSAC Men's Basketball Tournament seven times in the past 16 years. The rest of the 18-team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has combined for nine championships during that span.

FAIRMONT STATE AT A GLANCE
The Fairmont State Falcons men's basketball were runners-up in the Mountain East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, falling to West Liberty Hilltoppers men's basketball in the championship game. The Falcons finished the season 26-5 under seventh-year head coach Tim Koenig.

Fairmont State brings one of the most potent offenses in Division II, averaging more than 90 points per game while outscoring opponents by an average margin of 16.3 points. The Falcons have also proven strong in close contests, winning six of their nine games decided by fewer than 10 points.

Five Falcons average double figures in scoring, led by Drey Carson with 16.6 points per game and 480 total points in 29 games. Miguel Martinez has also surpassed the 400-point mark, scoring 407 points in 31 games.

SERIES HISTORY
The IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball and the Fairmont State Falcons men's basketball have met 15 times in series history, with IUP holding a 10-5 advantage. The two teams have also met four times in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, with the Crimson Hawks winning three of those Atlantic Regional matchups. However, IUP dropped the most recent tournament meeting in 2017.

The programs last faced each other in 2018, when Fairmont State earned an 83-64 victory. The Crimson Hawks are 3-3 against the Falcons under head coach Joe Lombardi.

ONE OF ONE
Dallis Dillard was named PSAC West, and D2CCA Player of the Year and is one of the top players in Division II. One of 25 finalists for the Trevor Hudgins Award, Dillard is the only player in the country averaging at least 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and 2.5 steals per game. He is also the only player in the PSAC averaging more than 20 points per game.

Dillard has put together a season to remember after sitting out the 2024-25 season due to injury.

ALL PSAC PERFORMERS
Senior Christian Moore and sophomore Kymani Merraro joined Dallis Dillard as All-PSAC selections, as announced by the conference Thursday. Moore ranks among the top 10 in scoring in the PSAC, averaging 17 points per game. He hit a game-tying 3-pointer with less than a minute remaining against West Chester to help propel the Crimson Hawks to the win.

Merraro is part of a three-headed backcourt that has proven to be one of the best in the region. He is averaging more than 11 points per game while showcasing an old-school midrange scoring approach.

MADE FOR MARCH
The IUP Crimson Hawks men's basketball has reached the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament 13 times in the past 17 seasons under head coach Joe Lombardi. The program made a run to the Division II Final Four in 2022.

Lombardi is joined by three members of the program who were part of that Final Four run. Dallis Dillard and Damir Brooks were freshmen on that team, while current assistant coach Armoni Foster served as the team's primary offensive option.

During the 2022 tournament run, Foster averaged 17.8 points per game while adding 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per contest. He scored a team-high 19 points in the Atlantic Regional final against the California (PA) Vulcans men's basketball.