IUP Advances To NCAA Division II Title Game

[Sweetleaf22]

Sweetleaf's Alma mater




Game will be televised nationally on CBS at 1:00 Saturday...............



SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (KDKA/AP)


The IUP Crimson Hawks held off the Huskies 76-70 in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament to advance to the title game to be played Saturday.

IUP's Thomas Young had 15 points and led five double-figure scorers.

Also, Darryl Webb had 12 points and 15 rebounds for IUP. Ashton Smith added 14 points, while Kevin Stewart had 11 and Akida McLain 10.

The Crimson Hawks won despite struggling to contain St. Cloud's Matt Schneck. The Huskies senior center had 29 points and 17 rebounds for his second straight double-double.

But they were successful in slowing Taylor Witt. The junior guard, who scored 43 points in the quarterfinals, had 16 points on 7 for 23 shooting.

A PITT INFLUENCE

IUP represents Lombardi's first college head coaching job following years of service as a Division I assistant. He spent three seasons at Pitt under Jamie Dixon prior to taking over at IUP.

The Crimson Hawks improved from six victories in Lombardi's first season to 13 in 2007-08. Then, a year ago, the program took a giant leap, posting a record of 22-8 and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.

And now, it's come to this — a shot at winning it all. How long can Lombardi's lads linger?

If they play defense the way he wants — Lombardi often refers to "when he was at Pitt" — this bunch could live up to Crutchfield's top-ranked observations.

"Playing defense early on, where these guys were concerned, had nothing to do with pride. It was more about the coach being on their tail," Lombardi said. "But as the year went on, they grabbed on to their own identity and their own desire to play it. They've been focused from the film room to when they get up on the floor. They want to figure it out. They want to figure it out before the game even starts. Their preparation's been tremendous."

Lombardi was as impressed as he's been as IUP's coach in watching his players handle West Liberty's potent offensive attack, which revolves around a barrage of 3-point shots every time out. The Hilltoppers, who entered Tuesday's game shooting 40.5 percent (378 for 929) from behind the arc, made a season-low six 3-pointers (in 27 attempts) against IUP.

"West Liberty had a reputation of putting up 90 points, putting up 100 points," Lombardi said. "Our defense had held 11 out of the last 12 teams to under 40 percent field-goal percentage. That's a good barometer of our defense. And we've also created a lot of turnovers, just in the halfcourt with active hands.

IUP's other victims in the region — Fairmont State and West Virginia State — also were held well under their scoring averages by the Crimson Hawks defense.

IUP defeated Fairmont State, 71-67 (the Falcons were averaging 85.2 ppg.) and West Virginia State, 91-76 (the Yellow Jackets were averaging 95.3 ppg.).

"People expected West Liberty to come in here and score 95 on us," Lombardi said. "Our guys stepped up and did a wonderful job of chasing them off the line, make them take quick shots. We gave up some layups, but when you play shooting teams like that ...

"We played West Virginia (led by the inside-outside 3-point shooting threat of Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansey) a few years ago when I was at Pitt ... You're going to give up some layups if you're going to guard a team that is as good a 3-point shooting team as West Liberty."


TEAM CHEMISTRY

Lombardi has assembled an impressive roster, and the winning results are reflective.

One player (forward Darryl Webb) is known as the "The Beast" for his brute force on the boards. Another (point guard Kevin Stewart) is called "The Tasmanian Devil" in recognition of his slick ball-handling, crisp passing and lightning speed.

When it was suggested that the diminutive Stewart particularly was impressive with his repeated dives onto the floor for loose balls during the regional tournament, Lombardi cracked, "It shouldn't hurt because he's not too far off the floor."

Besides the junior Stewart, a transfer from Lackawanna College in Scranton, and the 6-foot-6 Webb, also a junior who made two appearances this season on ESPN's nightly Top 10 segment, the IUP lineup consists of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference player of the year senior Thomas Young, a transfer from Maryland-Baltimore County; 6-9 senior Akida McLain, a Boston College transfer for played at Penn Hills High School; and sophomore Ashton Smith, who swished a 3-point shot from three-quarter court just before halftime against Fairmont State.

Sophomore Julian Sanders, a 3-point shooting specialist, and Scooter Renkin, a transfer from James Madison, are the first men off the bench


The Crimson Hawks will face the Cal Poly-Pomona Broncos at 1 p.m. Saturday in Springfield, Mass.





I should have some Inside info on this game come Sat,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,im not shanty staring either

[upinya83]

congrats SL - gl on Saturday

[Sweetleaf22]

Thanks may need it, my knees should hold up

[Sweetleaf22]

On the college level, shots at redemption don't come along often. It's every team's dream to play for a championship, but you have to think the entire Cal Poly Pomona team wanted it just a little more after the way last season ended.

After battling back and forth with Findlay in last year's NCAA Division II championship game, the Broncos were ousted in overtime by an improbable step-back, last second three-pointer.

Now, exactly 365 days removed from the scene, Cal Poly Pomona will try again to win their very first D-II NCAA championship against Indiana (Pa) at Springfield, Mass.

The Broncos will come into the game uncharacteristically on fire from the perimeter. During the course of the tournament, the Broncos have shot over 40 percent from beyond the three-point line, well above their season average. Although Pomona is shooting the ball well, it's the defense that has carried the Broncos to this point.

Much like UC Santa Barbara, which represented the Los Angeles area in the Division I NCAA Tournament, Cal Poly Pomona runs a very unorthodox matchup zone that often confuses opponents. All tournament long opposing coaches have voiced their concerns about playing against the zone, citing unfamiliarity as the defense's best attribute.

That unfamiliarity teamed with the Broncos unusual size and athleticism for the D-II level has turned Cal Poly Pomona into a defensive machine. The Broncos are third in the nation in points allowed per game, and have so far stifled even the best scorers they've encountered on their march to the championship game.

The Crimson Hawks of Indiana (Pa.) will also be playing for their first championship in school history Saturday. Coach Joe Lombardi has performed a miracle turnaround in his time with the school, taking the team from a 6-21 record four years ago to now having the chance at a national title.

This matchup is a tricky one for the Crimson Hawks. All season long, particularly in the tournament, they've relied on big scoring runs to pull them out of trouble. Against Valdosta (Ga.) State in the Elite Eight, Indiana needed a 21-0 run in the second half to squeak out a win.

Streaky offense, particularly against a team that throws different looks at you defensively, can quickly turn into a nightmare. Although Pomona loves its base matchup zone, the Broncos will throw a three-quarter court pressure out there in an effort to keep their opponent off balance. The Broncos are an incredibly tough team to get into an offensive rhythm against, and for Indiana to knock off Pomona, it will need more consistent scoring than it has had in the past.

You can see how it all plays out Saturday at 10 a.m. PT. The game will be nationally televised by CBS.

[crimsonhawk14]

i attend IUP now.... sanders is going to ball out of control today and d webb and mclain stay out of foul trouble i see a 6 to 10 point win.. LET'S GO HAWKS!

[Sweetleaf22]

Originally Posted by crimsonhawk14

i attend IUP now.... sanders is going to ball out of control today and d webb and mclain stay out of foul trouble i see a 6 to 10 point win.. LET'S GO HAWKS!

Nice to hear, I know mr lang and some others in the athletic Dept, wait for a call from mass, lets go IUP, waitin for the line................................

I beleive thier best player got hurt a few games ago


Brown Hotel was my spot, hows woffies