IUP Clinches PSAC Championship Crown
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CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
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IUP CLINCHES PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
Courtesy of IUP Sports Information
Box Score
Slippery Rock Story
INDIANA, PA - The IUP men's basketball team claimed their third Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title in four years Saturday evening with a 52-46 win over rival Slippery Rock at the Kovalchick Complex.
Josh Wiegand (Whiteford, MD/John Carroll) led the way for the Crimson Hawks with 15 points and six rebounds, while Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) tallied 10 points, five boards and three assists.
Keita was named the 2013 PSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after finishing the weekend with 34 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists.
The action heated up midway through the second half as the Crimson Hawks would build a 39-22 lead with 11:08 remaining before Slippery Rock would mount a comeback.
Starting with a pair of free throws by Darious Clark, The Rock would rip off a 12-2 run over the span of 3:49 to cut their deficit to 41-34 with 7:01 remaining. IUP followed with a jumper by Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh/Gateway) to get the lead back to nine but layups by Tabari Perry and Devin Taylor closed the gap to four at 45-41 with just 2:27 on the clock.
Facing a loud road crowd and the momentum of Slippery Rock, the Crimson Hawks responded on the very next possession with a layup and free throw by Wiegand as IUP aimed to take control of the final precious moments.
A missed three-point try on the other end by The Rock turned into a layup by Scooter Renkin (Midlothian, VA/Blue Ridge) as the Crimson Hawks took a 50-41 lead with 57 seconds left on the clock.
Slippery Rock came right back as former IUP standout Gerald Brooks drained a three from the right wing to make it a six-point game rolling into the final 49 seconds. Keita would head to the line after a foul but his miss on a one-and-one would bounce off, giving The Rock a chance with under 30 to play.
After tough defense by IUP forced Slippery Rock to waste too much time, a three by Clark and a missed jumper by Aubin Reeves gave way to a Crimson Hawks defensive board with under 14 seconds to go. Missed free throws by Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) gave the Rock one last shot as Reeves converted a layup with 2.6 seconds on the clock to make it a 50-46 game.
But that bucket would be too little too late for Slippery Rock as Wells sunk both free throws on the other end, sealing the win and IUP's ninth conference crown.
IUP shot just 36.5 percent (19-of-52) from the floor but held The Rock to a 28.8 percentage (15-of-62), going just 4-of-16 from three-point range. Both teams did keep control of the ball as The Rock turned it over nine times and IUP eight times.
Taylor led the way for Slippery Rock with 14 points and six rebounds while Perry added 10 in the scoring column.
Wells was the only other IUP player in double-figures with 10 points, adding five rebounds and three assists. Keita followed up his sensational Friday night with nine points, eight rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. Wiegand finished 5-of-12 from the field and more importantly 5-of-5 from the foul line in 27 minutes of work.
Renkin added seven points and five rebounds while Devante Chance (Philadelphia/Electrical & Technology Charter) scored five with two steals and Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) had four points with five rebounds in limited minutes.
It was a defensive struggle in the first half with no team leading by more than four until the Crimson Hawks took a 16-11 lead with 5:38 remaining before the break. A three-pointer by Renkin at the 1:55 mark would be the final points of the half as they went into the locker room with a 22-16 lead.
This was also head coach Joe Lombardi's third PSAC championship in the last four years and in seven seasons overall at the helm. Under Lombardi the Crimson Hawks have reached the 20-win plateau five straight years, winning 128 games in the last five seasons.
IUP last won the conference tournament in 2011, defeating Slippery Rock 82-75. An 84-73 victory over Kutztown in 2010 was Lombardi's first title at IUP as he led the Crimson Hawks to a national title game appearance.
The Crimson Hawks will now await word from the NCAA on their tournament placement. West Liberty has all but locked up the top seed in the Atlantic Region while IUP was slotted fourth prior to its tournament wins over Edinboro, West Chester and Slippery Rock.
The NCAA tournament field of 64 will be announced on Sunday, March 10 at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
IUP AND SLIPPERY ROCK ADVANCE TO PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Indiana, Pa. – IUP and Slippery Rock both prevailed over their semifinal opponents in order to advance to the 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship game to be held on Saturday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m. at the Kovalchick Complex in Indiana, Pa.
SRU vs. ESU
Led by senior forward
Devin Taylor’s team-leading 13th “double-double” of the season, Slippery Rock earned the right to play for the PSAC men's basketball championship by knocking off 19th-ranked and defending PSAC champion East Stroudsburg by a 68-59 score Friday night in semifinal action. The Rock, who earned their second title-game berth in the last three seasons, is in search of their first conference championship in 50 years. SRU hit 42% (13 of 31) of its shots from the floor, one of nine shots from 3-point range and made 8-of-13 (62%) free throws in the opening half. The Rock also had a 29-21 rebounding advantage at halftime. ESU shot a frigid 18% (6-of-34) from the floor, hit one of 10 shots from long range and sank seven of 10 free throws in the first half of action.
– Courtesy SRU Sports Info
Box Score
Slippery Rock’s Story
East Stroudsburg’s Story
Post Game interview with Kevin Reynolds, SRU Head Coach
IUP vs. WCU
Mathis Keita netted a game-high 25 points and dished eight assists as the IUP men's basketball team coasted to a 92-76 win over West Chester in the semifinals of the PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Friday night. IUP returns to the PSAC Championship for the third time in four years, while Slippery Rock advances to the final for the second time in three seasons. The story of the evening was IUP's unbelievable shooting from behind the arc as a team. The Crimson Hawks canned a PSAC Tournament-record 15 three-pointers, including their first eight attempts from long range. As a team, West Chester (20-8) shot just 39.3% from the field, and lost the rebounding battle 33-29. The Golden Rams turned the ball over just 10 times, but were unable to overcome a 17-point halftime deficit.
– Courtesy IUP Sports Info
Box Score
IUP’s Story
West Chester’s Story
PSAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW; IUP SET TO HOST
After a thrilling quarterfinal round of the 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship, four teams remain to vie for the conference crown. IUP will host the semifinal games and title match-up at the Kovalchick Complex in Indiana, Pa.
At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 8, East Stroudsburg and Slippery Rock will tip-off in the evening’s first quarterfinal. Earlier this season ESU and SRU squared-off, with the Warriors coming-out on top 84-72.
ESU reached the semis after receiving a bye into the quarterfinal round as the East’s divisional champion. The Warriors met Mansfield in the quarterfinals and handed the Mountaineers a 102-74 loss. Defending PSAC Champion, ESU heads into the championship’s final four for the fourth straight season. If the Warriors clinch the PSAC title, they will join IUP (2010-11) and Edinboro (2005-06) as the only squads to repeat as champions in the past 30 years.
Slippery Rock had to battle its way in the tourney’s final four, including upsetting Gannon on the road in the quarterfinals to the tune of 62-58 in overtime. SRU surpassed California in the first round of the championship 85-71. The final four berth marks the first earned by The Rock since its conference runner-up finish in 2010-11.
Host IUP and West Chester are scheduled to begin their semifinal bout at 7:30 p.m. Earlier this season, IUP defeated West Chester 71-52 on December 2. The match-up is a repeat semifinal game from a year ago, with West Chester taking the victory 54-51.
IUP is making its fourth consecutive trip to the PSAC tournament semifinals after winning its fourth straight PSAC West regular season title. IUP holds an all-time 25-18 record in the PSAC Championship. IUP received a first-round bye and defeated Edinboro in the quarterfinals 89-87 in overtime. In the latest regional rankings, IUP is fourth, the highest ranking in the PSAC, with an overall and in-region record of 20-5.
The Golden Rams also received a first round bye into the quarterfinals and played against Millersville in the quarterfinals to a 73-62 victory. The semifinal berth marks the second straight final four appearance for the Golden Rams and its ninth overall. The Golden Rams have hit the 20-win milestone, the most wins in a single season for head coach Damien Blair and the most for the program since 2003.
Tickets for the entire weekend are on sale now both at the Kovalchick Complex Box Office and online at
kovalchickcomplex.com. For live coverage links please refer to the online 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship interactive bracket.
PSAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINAL ROUND CONCLUDE; SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS DETERMINED
The 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship quarterfinals concluded Tuesday night around the conference and determined which four teams will advance to the semifinal round of the championship.
IUP, the highest remaining seed from the Western Division, will serve as host for the semifinals and championship game. The Crimson Hawks defeated Edinboro 89-87 in overtime to secure its hosting duties and a chance for the PSAC crown.
Box Score
West Chester is set to square-off with IUP, as the Golden Rams pulled-out a 73-62 victory over Millersville. West Chester bumps up to a 20-7 overall record on the season.
Box Score
East Stroudsburg netted 102 points on its way to an 102-74 dominating win over Mansfield in quarterfinal action on Tuesday night to move-on in the tournament. ESU now holds a 22-5 overall record.
Box Score
ESU is set to play Slippery Rock, who advanced into the semis thanks to a 62-58 down-to-the-wire overtime upset win over Gannon. Slippery Rock improves to 21-7 on the 2012-13 season.
Box Score
East Stroudsburg and Slippery Rock are set to play at the Kovalchick Complex at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 8. Host IUP and Wester Chester are scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
For semifinal game times and live coverage links please refer to the online 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship interactive bracket above.
QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS SET FOR PSAC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Four men’s basketball teams from around the PSAC defeated their conference foes in the first round of the 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship on Saturday in order to advance to the championship’s quarterfinal round.
In the East, Millersville prevailed over Shippensburg 79-69 in order to move-on to face No. 2 West Chester in the quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday, March 5.
Box Score
After a long delay at the beginning of the game due to a broken backboard, Mansfield was able to come out on-top of Bloomsburg with a score of 101-68. Mansfield will now face East Stroudsburg, the PSAC Eastern Division champ.
Box Score
Slippery Rock defeated California (Pa.) 85-71 in the first-round and will play against Gannon in the quarterfinals.
Box Score
Edinboro edged-out Mercyhurst 65-60 and will now play versus the PSAC Western Division champ, IUP.
Box Score
The victors from the quarterfinals will move-on to compete in the semifinals of the championship. The highest seed of the Western Division will serve as host for the semifinals and championship game. Semifinals are scheduled for Friday, March 9.
For quarterfinal game times and live coverage links please refer to the online 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship interactive bracket.
FIRST ROUND GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR 2013 PSAC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Upon the conclusion of the regular season of men’s basketball, the 2013 PSAC Championship field is set for competition. East Stroudsburg and IUP were named divisional champions, while West Chester and Gannon were also granted first round byes as the second seeds.
Mercyhurst and Edinboro will dual as a repeat of Wednesday’s action on Saturday, March 2, in the PSAC first round. Edinboro defeated Mercyhurst 71-59 on Wednesday night in the regular season finale. The victor will travel to Western Division Champion, IUP, on Tuesday, March 5, for a quarterfinal showdown.
Millersville and Shippensburg will also repeat their regular season finale in the PSAC first round on Saturday. The winner advances to face West Chester, the second-seeded squad in the East.
Mansfield will play host to Bloomsburg, with the winner advancing to play East Stroudsburg, the Eastern Division Champion. Slippery Rock and California (Pa.) are the final two teams that will play in the PSAC Championship opening round. The victorious team is scheduled to play Gannon, the second-seeded team in the West.
For game times and live coverage links please refer to the online 2013 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship interactive bracket.