GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: November 26, 2022
LOCATION: Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex,
Indiana, Pa.
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
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Lead
The University of New Haven men's basketball erased a nine point deficit in their last time on the court as they defeated the Saint Rose Golden Knights, 69-65, in overtime on Tuesday. Heading into Thanksgiving break, the Chargers own a 2-1 record while riding a two-game win streak. After winning their five of their last six games over the Golden Knights, New Haven will face an unfamiliar opponent as they head to Pennsylvania to take on the IUP Crimson Hawks for their first non-conference game. The Chargers look to continue their hot shooting, 52.9 percent from the field, that ranks them first in the Northeast-10 conference. Tip-off for the fourth game of the season is scheduled for 4:30 P.M. at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Inside the Series
In the 60-year history of New Haven men's basketball, the team has never faced off with the Crimson Hawks of Indiana (Pa.) as this Saturday's matchup will mark the first meeting between the two programs.
Scouting the Crimson Hawks (4-0, 0-0 PSAC)
For the third straight season the IUP men's basketball team won the conference title last season, as the Crimson Hawks defeated Millersville 63-52 in the 2022 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament championship game. Under Head Coach Joe Lombardi, the Crimson Hawks recorded their most wins in a season since the 2009-10 season, as they finished with a 33-3 record and were ranked as high as #3/2 by the end of the year. IUP's season didn't just end with a PSAC championship title but the Crimson Hawks made an appearance in 2022 Division II Men's Basketball Championship, making it all the way to the semifinals before falling to Augusta, 76-61.
IUP picked up where they left off as they enter this matchup ranked #3/2 with a 4-0 record, winning all four games by a double-digit margin. After starting the season with a pair of exhibition games against Syracuse and Miami (Fl.). The Crimson Hawks won their first two regular season games in the PSAC / MEC / CIAA Challenge where they defeated Concord, 77-60, before taking down Winston-Salem State, 67-50, on the following day.
IUP has only played one game at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex this season, besting the Bowie State Bulldogs, 76-55, on Nov. 16. Forward Tomiwa Sulaiman led the Crimson Hawks with a 16 point- 13 rebound double-double as the team racked up a season-high 41 rebounds. Despite season-lows in field goals and three-pointers, the Crimson Hawks sunk 22 free throws on 28 attempts as opposed to the Bulldogs, 6-7.
The Crimson Hawks are coming off a dominant 74-60 win over #20/NR Walsh on Saturday, Nov. 19. After jumping out to a 31-11 lead towards the end of the opening half, IUP secured the victory by shooting 15-27 (55.56 percent) in the second half. A contributing factor to the early lead was the Crimson Hawks' suffocating defense that held the Cavaliers to 6-24 shooting (25 percent) in the first half including 0-9 from the beyond the arc.
Graduate guard Shawndale Jones leads the team in scoring, racking up a conference third-best 21.8 points per game on 28-67 shooting (41.8 percent). Jones, who also averages 4.5 rebounds, is coming off a season-high 26 points in the win over Walsh.
With 15 assists on the year, redshirt senior guard Dave Morris, leads the team in passing. Morris has drained the most three-pointers on the team, making eight of his 30 attempts from the perimeter this season, as he averages 15.0 points per game. The Crimson Hawk with the best shooting percentage from distance has been junior forward Ethan Porterfield, who averages 12.5 points while going 6-17 (35.3 percent) from three. Both Morris and Porterfield have tallied 4.5 boards on average but the latter leads the defense with six total blocks.
Sulaiman has recorded the most rebounds on the team, pulling down 28 rebounds including 10 on offensive possessions. His 7.0 rebounds per game ranks tied for 14th in the conference as the team itself has been outrebounded 145-156 on the year.
Through four games, IUP has scored an average of 73.5 points per game, ninth most in the PSAC, while holding opponents to a conference low of 56.3 points on average. The Crimson Hawks are shooting 46.1 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 80 percent from the free-throw line. As a squad, the Crimson Hawks average 36.3 rebounds while ranking fourth in assists per game with 16.0, as well as steals with 9.5 per game.
In 16 seasons, Lombardi has a 367-106 (.774) overall record with 11 NCAA tournament appearances, six PSAC tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2022), three Atlantic Region Championships (2010, 2015, 2022) and two Division II National Championship Game appearances (2010, 2015). He boasts a 224-56 (.800) record in conference games and has won 11 PSAC West regular season titles, including a record five straight on two occasions - 2010-14 and 2016-20. Lombardi has also been the top postseason coach in IUP history with a combined record of 47-18 (.723) in PSAC and NCAA tournament games.
Scouting the Chargers (2-1, 2-1 NE10)
After a commanding 82-64 win over Adelphi at home on Saturday, the Chargers hit the road again for the start of a three-game road trip. Despite starting their latest game against Saint Rose on a 12-4 run, the Chargers fell behind by nine points in the second half. New Haven battled back from the deficit to take a three point lead with 18 seconds left in the game but Saint Rose's Shane O'Dell drained a last second shot from beyond the arc to send the game to overtime. A Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) layup with five seconds on the clock put the Chargers up by three but Victor Olawoye (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial High School) secured the win with a steal before making a free throw to put the game out of reach.
Through three games, the Chargers have taken advantage of opportunities on offense, shooting a conference-best 52.9 percent. With an average of 75 points per game, the offense ranks fourth in efficiency. Newcomer Ty Perry (Boston, Mass./Brighton) has made an immediate impact for New Haven, leading the team with 18.3 points per game after tying a career high with 22 points on Tuesday. Perry shot 8-11 in the first half after starting off a perfect 4-4. In addition to his hot start on offense, the transfer guard has been crashing the boards, recording 6.7 rebounds per game, second most on the team and 13th most in the conference.
Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie), who scored 15 points his last time out, follows close behind Perry with an average of 18 points per game. Despite a season-low from Thomas, the junior forward has made 20 of his 32 shot attempts for a 62.5 field goal percentage. Thomas has been a consistent threat from deep, making 10-20 (50 percent) of his three-pointers on the season.
The duo of Lane and Olawoye has played a key role in the Charger's offensive scheme as the pair averages 13.7 and 10.7, respectively. The two guards have combined for 32 rebounds, 16 a piece, and 26 assists to start the campaign. Perry, Thomas and Lane have all recorded three straight games with double-digit points.
Majur Majak (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./) pulled down aseason-high 10 rebounds in the win as he now leads the Chargers with 7.7 boards per game. Although the senior big man only averages 8.0 points per game, Majak tops the NE10 leaderboard by shooting 73.3 percent from the floor. On defense, Perry has come away with seven steals while Majak continues to rack up blocks, leading the team and conference with 2.7 blocks per game.
For the first time this season, the Chargers were outrebounded by an opponent, 36-38, despite outscoring the Golden Knights in the paint, 42-32. In addition to a conference best 52.9 field goal percentage, the Chargers also are also shooting 29.4 percent from deep and 68.4 percent at the line.
When and Where
The New Haven men's basketball team will finish their extended road trip with a visit to American International on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tip-off for the Chargers' return to conference play is set for 7:30 P.M. at Henry A. Butova Gymnasium with live play-by-play stats on NewHavenChargers.com.
