• Both Edinboro and Indiana(Pa.) will play on Saturday for the fifth time in 11 days, and both come off losses on Wednesday night. The Fighting Scots have won six of their last eight games, but lost two of their last three contests, following an 83-69 loss at Gannon. IIUP, meanwhile, saw its six-game winning streak come to an end with an 85-82 loss to East Stroudsburg.        
• The Fighting Scots were picked to finish eighth out of nine teams in the PSAC West, but they are now 7-3 in league play and 10-4 overall. They own a 7-1 at McComb Fieldhouse. IUP is 11-5 overall and has a 7-2 record in league play. The Crimson Hawks were chosen as the preseason favorite in the coaches' preseason poll. 
• Edinboro once again faces one of the best defensive teams in the PSAC. The Fighting Scots rank eighth in the PSAC in scoring at 79.5 ppg., and has topped 80-or-more points eight times. IUP allows 72.0 ppg., good for sixth in the PSAC, but the Crimson Hawks are tied for third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (42.0 percent).  .   
• Edinboro is in the midst of a six-game stretch without a game outside of Erie County. This is the fourth of five games at McComb Fieldhouse, plus one at Gannon.
• The Fighting Scots have relied on a trio of players for the majority of the offense. The threesome of Keshawn Liggins, Anthony Coleman, and Jaymon Mason combine for 56 points per game. Liggins has led the PSAC in scoring recently before dipping down to 22.8 ppg. following the Gannon game. That is still good for fifth in the PSAC. Anthony Coleman's 32-point effort at Gannon on Wednesday boosted his scoring average to 17.1 ppg., and Jaymon Mason comes in at 16.1 ppg.         
• Jaymon Mason has moved up to second in career scoring at Edinboro. The redshirt senior guard now has 1,757 points. He needs 198 points to break the career scoring record og 1,954 points, held by Tyrone Mason, his father.

• The Edinboro-IUP game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9. Dakota Palmer will be handling the play-by-play with Madison Gross providing color commentary. 
• In addition, this year Edinboro is part of the PSAC Network. All men's and women's home basketball games will be streamed live through Stretch Internet. 

• IUP leads 98-73: IUP has won 17 of the last 18 meetings against Edinboro dating back to 2008-09.
• First Meeting: 1928-29 – Edinboro 50, IUP 18
• Last Meeting: 2016-17 – No. 4 IUP 91, Edinboro 76
• Current Streak: IUP has won the last four meetings
• Cleary vs. IUP: 1-7

• Fourth-ranked IUP spoiled Edinboro's Make-A-Wish Day as the Crimson Hawks won their 14^th straight game and handed the Fighting Scots a fifth straight loss. Edinboro suited up just eight players due to injuries.
• The first half featured four ties and seven lead changes in the first half, with Edinboro leading by as much as six points. IUP broke the last tie at 34-34 with three minutes to play in the first half, as the Crimson Hawks scored nine straight points before Sheldon Brogdon closed the half with a jumper to make it 43-36 at intermission.
• The Fighting Scots held IUP to just 40.5 percent from the floor (17-of-42) over the first twenty minutes, but the second half was a different story. The Crimson Hawks would shoot 54.5 percent in the second half (18-of-33).  Edinboro was even better at 59.3 percent (16-of-27), but IUP dominated the glass in the second half.
• Edinboro kept the contest close for the first five minutes of the half, trailing by just four at 49-45 with 16:09 to play. The lead was still just eight points at 58-50 at the 13:19 mark, but the Crimson Hawks used an 8-0 run to put the game away. Anthony Glover started the run with a 3-pointer, with Jacobo Diaz adding two free throws. Diaz then capped the run with another three to make it 74-56 with 8:20 to play.
• The Fighting Scots did have one last run in them, shaving the deficit from 19 points (83-64 with 4:29 to play) to ten points at 83-73 with 2:33 left. The nine straight points featured a pair of Maceo Baston layups, followed by a Jaymon Mason basket. When Mike Beck hit a 3-pointer from the left corner, Edinboro was within ten points.
• IUP held Edinboro to just one more basket the rest of the way, while the Crimson Hawks made four straight free throws and both of their field goal attempts during that period.
• Baston enjoyed a career-best effort, as the 6'5" swingman scored a game-high 24 points. He made 10-of-13 field goals and was 4-for-4 from the line.
• Mason added 17 points while playing all 40 minutes for the 11^th straight game. He added five rebounds and seven assists. Brogdon was also in double figures with 15 points, making 3-of-5 3-pointers.
• IUP had four players score in double figures, led by Devon Cottrell's 20 points. Diaz posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, with Blake Danielak coming off the bench for 17 points. Anthony Glover added 15 points and nine rebounds.
• Edinboro shot 53.6 percent from the floor (30-of-56). IUP came in at 46.7 percent (35-of-75), but made 11-of-33 3-pointers. The Crimson Hawks were a perfect 10-for-10 at the line, compared to 11-of-15 for the Scots, and held a 41-27 advantage on the boards.
   

• Pat Cleary was introduced as Edinboro's tenth head coach on March 26, 2013 after head coach Greg Walcavich announced his retirement. Cleary served as Walcavich's assistant coach for 14 years.
• The 9-2 start is the best since Cleary took over as head coach. 
• Cleary's first three teams improved each year since his appointment, with his 2015-16 team earning the third seed in the PSAC West Tournament with a 15-11 overall record and 14-8 league mark. A year ago the Fighting Scots came in at 8-18 overall and 6-16 in the PSAC West, with injuries forcing the Fighting Scots to suit up as few as seven players in February.
• He guided Edinboro to the PSAC Tournament for the first time in 2014-15 with a 14-13 record, a four-game improvement over his first year, after being chosen to finish eighth in the PSAC West preseason poll. His first Boro squad finished 10-16 in 2013-14.

• Joe Lombardi is in his 12^th season as the head coach at IUP and is the program's winningest head coach with 261 wins.
• Lombardi has led the Crimson Hawks to eight NCAA tournament appearances, three PSAC tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013), two Atlantic Region Championships (2010, 2015) and two Division II National Championship Game appearances (2010, 2015).
• He boasts a 147-46 record in conference games and has won seven PSAC West regular season titles, including five straight from 2010-14. Lombardi has also been the top postseason coach in IUP history with a combined record of 32-15 (.681) in PSAC and NCAA tournament games.
• Lombardi wrapped up his 11th season at the helm in 2016-17, leading the Crimson Hawks to the postseason (PSAC and or NCAA tournaments) for the ninth straight year. For the third time in his career, Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year, after guiding IUP to its ninth consecutive 20-win season. The Crimson Hawks finished the season 28-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC tournament for the seventh time in his tenure. IUP also returned to the NCAA tournament, earning the fourth seed in the Atlantic region.
• The Crimson Hawks won the PSAC West regular season title with a 21-1 conference record. The 21 wins are the most regular season conference wins in PSAC history. IUP has won or shared the PSAC West seven times under Lombardi.
• The Youngstown State alum was an assistant coach for Indiana (Pa.) from 1984-87. Prior to returning to IUP, Lombardi was an assistant coach at Pitt from 2003-06 after stints at LaSalle, St. Bonaventure and St. Francis. He was also a graduate assistant coach at Ohio and Youngstown State.
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• Edinboro is off to its best start under fifth-year head coach Pat Cleary at 10-4 overall and 7-3 in the PSAC West. The Fighting Scots have already bettered last year's win total of eight victories. They opened the season with four straight games at McComb Fieldhouse, then played their next four games on the road. The road trip got off to a less than promising start with losses at Daemen and Mansfield, but the Fighting Scots righted themselves with wins at Lock Haven and Cheyney. They extended the winning streak to five games, the longest since the 2008-09 edition opened the year with eight straight wins, before last Saturday's 91-89 loss to Kutztown. The loss was the first this season at McComb Fieldhouse following six wins. Edinboro improved to 7-1 at McComb Fieldhouse on Monday with an 82-78 win over Pitt-Johnstown, before suffering an 83-69 loss at Gannon on Wednesday.
• The loss at Gannon was the second in the last three games for the Fighting Scots, but they staged an incredible rally after trailing by 31 points in the second half. A 19-0 run, with Anthony Coleman accounting for 14 of the points, pulled Edinboro back into the game. They would pull to within 10 points at 79-69 with just over two minutes to play, but were unable to duplicate their 2017 rally at the Hammermill Center.
• Edinboro is averaging 79.5 ppg., ranking eighth in the PSAC in scoring offense. The Fighting Scots had topped the 80-point mark in five straight games before being held to 69 points by Gannon, the top defensive team in the PSAC. They rank ninth in the PSAC in scoring defense at 74.3 ppg.
• Keshawn Liggins, Anthony Coleman, and Jaymon Mason are combining for 56 points per game. Each is capable of putting up big numbers. One of them has scored 30-or-more points in nine games, with Liggins reaching the mark in three straight games prior to the Kutztown game, and five overall. He dropped in a career-high 39 points vs. Seton Hill. Coleman comes off a season-best 32-point effort at Gannon on Wednesday, and had 30 points in the upset of then eighth-ranked Shippensburg. When Coleman led Edinboro with 19 points at Lock Haven, it marked the only time Edinboro has not had a scorer reach 20 points.  Mason has now had 15 career 30-point games after scoring a season-high 33 points against Kutztown, his second 30-point effort of the year. He had 32 points vs. Daemen.
• Second all-time leading scorer and preseason All-American Jaymon Mason battled an early-season injury but is now healthy and playing up to his normal standards. The senior guard had a season-high 33-point effort against Kutztown, making 13-of-15 free throws, and is averaging 21.5 ppg. Mason had 32 points at Daemen, dropping in 6-of-12 3-pointers while going 10-of-11 at the charity stripe.  Mason added 27 points at Cheyney, making 6-of-9 3-pointers. He is averaging 16.1 ppg., has a team-high 50 assists, and has made 37-of-98 3-pointers. The senior guard moved into second place in career scoring against Pitt-Johnstown and now has 1,757 career points. 
• Keshawn Liggins has had eight double-doubles and has pulled down 10-or-more rebounds in nine contests. The 6'5" senior suffered a subpar outing at Gannon, but he still ranks fifth in the PSAC in scoring (22.8 ppg.) and tied for third in rebounding (10.1 rpg.). He had a streak of three straight games of 30-or-more points end against Kutztown, as he "settled" for 26 points, adding 11 rebounds and seven assists. Liggins had a career-high 39 points vs. Seton Hill and 38 against Charleston.  He is a transfer from Idaho State and has been an ironman, ranking fifth in the country in minutes per game (38.1). His eight double-doubles ranks third in the PSAC and 12th in Division II.
• Anthony Coleman showed on Wednesday just how much of a threat he is to put up big numbers. A transfer from Cincinnati State CC, the 6'3" guard is second on the team in scoring at 17.1 ppg. after dropping in 32 points at Gannon. He made 7-of-12 3-pointers, many of them from well beyond the 3-point arc. He has had five games of 20-or-more points, including the 32 vs. Gannon and 30 points in an upset of Shippensburg. He is the top 3-point threat on the team in 3-pointers, making 43-of-93. He ranks third in the PSAC in 3-point percentage (.462) and 3-pointers made per game (3.1).  
• The Fighting Scots posted the biggest win in Cleary's four-plus seasons as head coach, an 88-86 triumph over eighth-ranked Shippensburg, earlier this year. Edinboro had previously upset 16^th-ranked Indiana(Pa.), 79-77 in overtime, in 2014-15. 
• For the second year in a row, the football team is providing a boost to the basketball team. Offensive lineman Trey Staunch, a former standout in football and basketball at West Middlesex High School, saw his first action against Shippensburg. A two-year starter at right tackle, the 6'3", 265 lb. junior joined the basketball team at the conclusion of the football season. He has proven a huge asset, currently playing just over 13 minutes per game and averaging 5.5 ppg.     
• The combination of Jack Frank  and Staunch is providing the Fighting Scots with plenty of production in the post. Frank, a 6'8" junior, is Edinboro's second-leading rebounder at 7.1 per game. He pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds vs. Cal and added 10 more against Seton Hill. 
• Mike Beck scored 19 points in the win over Millersville, and comes in averaging 5.7 ppg. with 18 3-pointers in 47 attempts. The senior swingman's biggest contributions have come on defense, as he has been assigned some of the top scorers in the PSAC.
• The freshman tandem of Alex Jay and Jaryn Simpson possesses some impressive genes and have provided the Fighting Scots with valuable minutes. Jay is the son of Sarah (Bishop) Jay, who ranks fourth in career scoring for the Edinboro women's basketball team, Simpson's father Bronze, is one of the all-time leading scorers and rebounders at Gannon. Jay, a 6'3" guard, is averaging 4.5 ppg. in 15.1 minutes per game and has made 13-of-33 3-pointers. Simpson, a 6'1" guard, is playing 13.8 minutes per game and averaging 3.9 ppg. with 28 assists.  

Scouting the Crimson Hawks

• Indiana(Pa.) saw its six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night with an 85-82 loss to East Stroudsburg. The Crimson Hawks were guilty of 28 turnovers, resulting in 31 ESU points, in the battle between two of the top teams in the PSAC. The loss dropped IUP, the Western Division preseason favorite, to 11-5 overall and 7-2 in the PSAC West.
• The Crimson Hawks opened the season in early November with a pair of losses to nationally-ranked teams Findlay and Ferris State in the 2017 SCB Hall of Fame Classic. Four of IUP's losses are to teams currently ranked in the Top 25 by the NABC/D2SIDA. In addition to Ferris State and Findlay, the Crimson Hawks have fallen to Virginia State and West Chester. Three of their losses have been by five points or less. 
• Head coach Joe Lombardi has enjoyed great success at IUP since taking over following a stint as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh. Now in his 12th season, he is the school's all-time winningest coach with 261 victories, and has guided the Crimson Hawks to eight NCAA tournament appearances, three PSAC tournament titles, two Atlantic Region Championships, and two Division II National Championship Game appearances. A year ago, IUP finished at 28-4 and reached the Atlantic Regional semifinals.
• IUP has four players averaging in double figures, led by senior Anthony Glover. The 6'1" guard is tied for eighth in the PSAC in scoring and is six players with 10-or-more 3-pointers. He has made 47-of-101 trifectas, good for second in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage (46.5 pct.). Glover went over 1,000 points at IUP on Monday against Slippery Rock, and now has 1,030 points in three seasons at IUP after scoring 22 points vs. East Stroudsburg.  He is tied for eighth in the PSAC in scoring at 19.1 ppg. Glover was a second team All-PSAC West selection last year.
• Jacobo Diaz, a 6'9" junior, was the 2017 PSAC West Athlete of the Year. He has had seven double-doubles this season while averaging 14.1 ppg. and 9.3 rpg. He is also shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and ranks second on the team with 47 assists. 
• Dante Lombardi, a 6'0" junior and the son of head coach Joe Lombardi, averages 11.6 ppg. and has a team-leading 67 assists. He was a first team All-PSAC West selection a year ago. Malik Miller, a 6'4" sophomore, comes off the bench to average 10.3 ppg.  

• CAREER SCORING: Second all-time with 1,757 points. 
• CAREER SCORING AVERAGE:  Fourth at 18.9 ppg.
• CAREER 3-POINTERS: Is second in career 3-pointers made with 204 3-pointers made and is second in career 3-pointers attempted with 525. Is also seventh in career 3-point field goal percentage at 38.9 percent 
• CAREER FREE THROWS MADE: Broke Bryan Theriot's school record of 402 free throws made in the season opener. Mason now holds the record with 447.   
• CAREER FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED:  Ranks second with 534 free throw attempts.
• CAREER FREE THROW PERCENTAGE:  Ranks sixth at 83.7 percent
• CAREER ASSISTS:  Is tied for fifth with 365
• CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE:  Ranks seventh with 553
• CAREER FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED:  Ranks sixth with 1,287