PREVIEW: IUP Men’s Basketball set to host Mansfield

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INDIANA, Pa. — The IUP men’s basketball team returns back to the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex after getting their first conference win of the year on the road to face John Szentesy and the Mansfield Mountaineers. Tipoff is set for 5:00 PM on December 16.

IUP TIPOFF NOTES

>> IUP returns five players who started at least 25 games last season.

>> The Crimson Hawks return four players who averaged double-digit points last season, including leading scorer Christian Moore.

>> This season will mark IUP Head Coach Joe Lombardi‘s 20th year at the helm for the Crimson Hawks. He ranks in the top five in active Division II coaches in wins with 433 wins, 267 of which, came in PSAC play.

>> Redshirt senior Dallis Dillard opened the season having never recorded more than five assists in a game during his career. In four games this season, Dillard has already logged two games with at least five assists, including a career-best seven in IUP’s loss to Ashland. Dillard has totaled 13 assists over his last two games and led the Crimson Hawks in assists in each contest.

>> The Crimson Hawks have protected the ball through four games, committing fewer turnovers than they have forced in each contest

this season.

>> Kymani Merraro was the first Crimson Hawk to be named PSAC Freshman of the Year, as he was awarded for his performance, starting all 30 games for the Crimson Hawks in 2024-25, and ranked fourth in the PSAC in assists.

>> The top three scorers for the Crimson Hawks include Dillard (17.5), followed by Merraro (15.5), and Christian Moore (13.3)

>> Lombardi has been utilizing his deep bench, six Crimson Hawks average a minimum of 20.0 MPG.

>> Emphasizing efficiency first, six Crimson Hawks are shooting above .500, Brooks leads the way with a sharp .792 FG%.

MANSFIELD AT A GLANCE

Mansfield enters the matchup against IUP with a 1-6 overall record and sits at the bottom of the PSAC Eastern Division. The Mountaineers’ lone victory came at home against Bryant & Stratton University, when they scored a season-high 102 points in a win over the Bobcats. Mansfield has dropped its only PSAC contest of the season, falling to Slippery Rock, 85-78. All four of the Mountaineers’ regular starters are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Sterling Scott at 12 points per game through seven contests. Scott also leads the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.

PREVIOUS CONTEST

IUP has dominated the series with Mansfield, winning 17 of the 21 meetings dating back to 1986. The Crimson Hawks are riding a nine-game winning streak against the Mountaineers,with their last loss in the series coming in 2011. IUP is 11-1 at home against Mansfield and owns an 8-0 record in PSAC play.

I’M BACK

After missing more than a year due to injury, IUP redshirt senior Dallis Dillard is back with a vengeance. Dillard is leading the Crimson Hawks with 18.2 points in 30 minutes per game. He has totaled 12 steals and 19 rebounds through four games. Entering the season, Dillard had never recorded a game with five or more assists in his IUP career. He now has three such performances in his previous three games, highlighted by a career-high seven assists against Ashand, followed by six against D’Youville,a nd seven again against Kutztown. Each total stood as a team high for its respective game.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS

IUP Redshirt Senior Damir Brooks has taken rebounding to another level, averaging 7.0 boards per game through six contests.

THE BALL IS A DIAMOND

The Hawks have prioritized ball security, ranking second in the PSAC in turnover rate. IUP is averaging four more assists than turnovers per game through four contests, carrying a 1.34 ratio. Dallis Dillard leads IUP with 28 assists this season, averaging 4.7 per game, and ranks among the top six assist leaders in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. He also sits inside the PSAC’s top six in total assists through four games.

HOME SWEET HOME

IUP has played five home games on campus this season, but Saturday’s contest marks only the team’s third in its primary home venue, the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. IUP opened the season’s first weekend against Concord University and Lincoln University of Pennsylvania at Memorial Fieldhouse, the program’s former home arena. The Crimson Hawks have been strong at the KCAC in recent seasons, posting a 95-15 home record there since 2018.