INDIANA, Pa. — The IUP men’s basketball program hosts the Kutztown Golden Bears on Tuesday, December 17 at 5:00 p.m.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP (5-5, 2-2 PSAC) vs. Kutztown (3-6, 0-3 PSAC)
Tuesday, December 17 – 5:00 PM – Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Center – Indiana, Pa.
Media Coverage: Live Video (PSAC Digital Network) – Live Stats (Stat Broadcast)
Social Media Updates: @IUP_MBB on X (formerly Twitter)
COMING UP
IUP at Millersville
Saturday, December 21 – 3:00 p.m. – Pucillo Gymnasium – Millersville, Pa.
IUP TIPOFF NOTES
>> The Hawks post a 5-5 overall record and 2-2 in the PSAC.
>> Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2 for his defensive efforts against Lincoln.
>> The Hawks are currently averaging 73.3 PPG, 38.9 RPG, 11.7 APG, 7.1 SPG, and 2.7 BPG.
>> IUP is shooting .433 from the field and .310 beyond the arc.
>> Top shooters for the Hawks are Damir Brooks (.587 FG), Ian Herring (.517 FG), and Kymani Merraro (.426 FG).
>> Kymani Merraro is solid from the free throw line, shooting .767 from 60 attempts.
>> Consistent starters for the Hawks have been Moore, Merraro, Tyler Grove, and Brooks. Three players rank in the PSAC top 25 in minutes per game. Moore ranks second averaging 35.4 MPG, Merraro ranks seventh with 33.3 MPG, and Brooks wraps up the top 20 with 30.5 MPG.
>> Sophomore Sarp Furton has started eight of the 10 games this season, averaging 28.5 minutes per game. In the past three games, he has grabbed 11 rebounds and four steals.
>> Freshman Tyler Grove has started all 10 games and is averaging 30.2 minutes per game. Through the 10 games, he has shot .390 from the field and .264 beyond the arc. Grove has grabbed 27 defensive rebounds and is averaging 4.9 RPG.
>> Freshman Ian Herring is also making an impact for the Hawks. He has posted at least one steal in each of the past five games, totaling eight of his 14 total in the past three games.
>> Kutztown’s Jalen Bryant just reached 1,000 career points against Seton Hill. He ranks second in the PSAC averaging 21.8 PPG, totaling 196 points so far this season. Bryant also has snagged 16 steals this season, averaging 1.8 per game.
>> Another top scorer for the Golden Bears is Jaiden McGhee who ranks 17th in the PSAC averaging 14.4 PPG.
>> This will be the team’s 29th overall meeting with IUP holding a 21-7 advantage and a current five-game win streak against the Golden Bears.
KUTZTOWN AT A GLANCE
Kutztown’s overall record is 3-6 and 0-3 in the PSAC. They lost to Edinboro earlier in the season by a 35-point margin. The Golden Bears’ slow start in the first half dropped them against the Rock 86-72. Their latest matchup was against Seton Hill, dropping a close game, 85-80 after being unable to keep up in the second. The Golden Bears are averaging 76.0 PPG, .428 FG, 36.2 RPG, 12.1 APG, 5.8 SPG, and 1.8 BPG.
Senior Jalen Bryant is the lead scorer for the Golden Bears who just surpassed 1,000 career points. He is averaging 21.8 PG, shooting .393 from the field, .358 beyond the arc, and .912 from the free throw line. He also leads the team with 16 steals, in two games this season he marked four.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the team’s 29th overall matchup with IUP claiming the past five. IUP leads the series with 21 wins and seven losses. The last time the teams met was in December of 2022, the Hawks won 83-72 at home. Damir Brooks played 33 minutes, shot 6-8 from the field, grabbed nine rebounds, posted a team high of five blocks, and totaled 13 points.
STANDOUT MOORE
Christian Moore, a transfer from New Hampshire, has led the team in scoring on five occasions, all above 20 points. His highest-scoring game came against Tiffin where he scored 26 points, shot .571% from the field, and made four three-pointers. Moore is averaging 35.4 minutes per game, 3.9 RPG, 19.8 PPG, and has tallied 17 steals with five coming against Lock Haven. Moore ranks in the PSAC top 25 in eight categories, including a third-place rank in three-pointers made per game (3.3) and second in the PSAC for minutes per game (35.4).
BROOKS NAMED PSAC WEST DEF. ATH. OF THE WEEK
Redshirt junior guard Damir Brooks was awarded PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on December 2 for his defensive efforts against Lincoln. Brooks posted his third double-double this season with 12 rebounds and 10 points. His 12 rebounds marked a career high for him along with matching his personal best of three blocks. He also added an assist and steal playing 30 minutes.
Brooks has also been climbing the rankings among the PSAC, currently ranked fifth in rebounds per game (8.8) and 13th in blocks per game (1.0).
MERRARO ON THE RISE
Freshman Merraro has had a hot start to his collegiate career. He has scored 15 points or more in five games, including his high of 21 points against USC Beaufort. He currently averages 13.7 PPG, 54.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, has grabbed 12 steals, and is shooting .426 from the field. With his free throw percentage, he ranks 21st in PSAC (.767) and is fifth with 45 assists.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Blocks: Brooks (10), Furton (5), Grove (4), Triggs (3), Herring (2), Moore (2)
Steals: Moore (17), Brooks (12), Herring (10), Merraro (12), Furton (8), Grove (4), Triggs (4)
LOMBARDI AMONG TOP COACHES IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Now in his 43rd overall season as a college coach, Joe Lombardi has been a central figure in elevating the IUP men’s basketball program into one of the nation’s best. Coaching his 19th season at the helm of the Crimson Hawks, Lombardi is the program’s all-time leader in wins (422-126) with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven PSAC tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023), three Atlantic Region Championships (2010, 2015, 2022) and two Division II National Championship Game appearances (2010, 2015). He is one of four coaches in PSAC men’s basketball history to reach at least 400 career wins, ranking third on the conference’s all-time wins list. Lombardi ranks third among NCAA DII active head coaches in winning percentage (.770) with at least 10 years of experience and in the top 20 among all-time among all NCAA divisions in winning percentage with at least 10 years of experience.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men’s basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
