You wouldn't know it based on all the drama, close games, Dante Lombardi being launched in to Row 4 by Micah Till, Kevin Reynolds blow-ups, etc., but IUP is 22-4 against Slippery Rock in the past 26 meetings.
It's well-documented SRU hasn't won a game in Indiana since 1991. But, things have been a bit different in Morrow Field House.
Joe Lombardi has lost four times at Slippery Rock. He's also escaped with some stunning, walk-off wins.
In fact, Joe's last team to go there undefeated (and ranked No. 3) ... lost, 74-69 (2018-19). IUP won the return game a few weeks later, 77-48. And, that, is the perfect example of what has happened in this series -- in that building. Some very, very strange things. And, I'm not even (yet) talking about the phantom scoreboard malfunctions that occur yearly during IUP runs.
IUP's visit to Morrow is the lone basketball event of the year at Slippery Rock, and, it's a big one. It's their yearly White Out night. The home team also plays really well. Reference above.
IUP's last three wins at Morrow have come by just 5, 4 and 2 points. In the two-point win, Anthony Glover drilled a walk-off three-pointer as time expired. A couple years alter Malik Miller drained the same three-pointer -- from nearly the same spot. A year ago, it was Armoni Foster draining the late three to seal the game -- again from nearly the same spot.
Even the 2014-15 team -- the same team that made the National Final -- lost in Morrow, 75-71.
Now, let's not feel too sad for IUP. The Crimson Hawks have won 5 straight in the series and 9 of the past 10 meetings.
But, here is a crazy stat about those past 10 games (5 games in each venue):
Games played at the KCAC, the average score is 83.4 to 64.0 in favor of IUP
Games played at Morrow, the average score is 69.8 to 65.6 in favor of IUP
I'm no mathematician, but IUP is winning by 20 points in the KCAC and a hair above 4 in Morrow. That's an incredible difference. To its credit, SRU really rises up for this particular game -- in this particular venue. In fact, it looked like IUP was going to get blown out of the building a year ago before making a massive comeback and eventually winning late.
The drama, hatred and near brawls of the Reynolds era are gone. The games have been pretty respectful under Ian Grady's watch.
The Rock currently sits at 6-6 in the PSAC and 12-6 overall -- on a two-game skid.
I can promise one thing: They will not look like a 6-6 PSAC team tomorrow night. They may in a couple weeks in the KCAC, but they won't tomorrow. This is the rare team in the league that matches up fairly well with IUP -- size and athletically. The knock on SRU is they can tend to play more individual basketball than team basketball. They won't tomorrow.
IUP has a history of painfully slow starts in Morrow. All that does is make things a lot worse. Joe needs a fast start tomorrow to quiet that anti-IUP crowd. Sooner or later, these past couple magical comebacks up there aren't going to happen.
A fast start by IUP puts added pressure on the home team, which isn't used to playing in front of a full house.
Theories aside, I suspect it will be another 70-66 game. As usual.
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That's true. A few may be low but several of those are reaching for sure.Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View PostLeave a comment:
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I don't know... watching several game streams they can count each one.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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Like I said, if it was a community bus they'd fill it up. Easily.Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
I'd be shocked if more than 10 students sign up. They just don't care.Leave a comment:
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It was just mentioned that they'll have an extra officer there when hearing about a good IUP student presence. It's not like Seton Hill is sending a bus.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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They overblow this game up there every year ... Acting like it's freaking Duke and North Carolina.Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
IUP students don't attend home games let alone take a bus ride in a winter storm.
I've been to 15+ games in Morrow. All get hyped. All get big crowds. But, I've never seen anything remotely hostile.
If SRU cared about basketball their fans would come to more than one game a year.Leave a comment:
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This actually was in a meeting today with SRU police lolOriginally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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IUP is sending a student bus up to SRU. Very rare.
Hopefully they can fill it up. If not, open it to the public. They would likely fill a public fan bus before a student bus.Leave a comment:
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At many of our schools the announced gate is about as scientific as Johnny asking Bobby what number he thinks they should put in the box.Originally posted by Ship69 View PostLeave a comment:
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I don't know how they're counting at Shippensburg, but pretty sure we've had substantially more than 211 at the last few games I've attended. Perhaps they're just counting paid admissions and not students guests, Raider Club members, etc.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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Attendance numbers aren't great. That said, we're coming off the way-too-long PASSHE winter break. So, I'd suspect these to climb in the coming weeks. IUP's number always make a dramatic climb in late Jan. and Feb.Originally posted by Ship69 View Post
But, as of today, here they are (pretty poor across the board):
SCHOOL AVERAGE HOME GATE IUP 1,247 East Stroudsburg 1,089 Gannon 534 Pitt-Johnstown 472 West Chester 435 Slippery Rock 380 Mercyhurst 359 Kutztown 304 Mansfield 270 Edinboro 248 California 240 Shepherd 233 Lock Haven 227 Shippensburg 211 Seton Hill 201 Clarion 173 Bloomsburg 160 Leave a comment:
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Ship's attendance, while still not great, appears to have picked up a little recently. The success of the women's team this year seems to have helped with school groups and younger girls notably in attendance. I'm hoping to get one of my great-granddaughters to a game (weather permitting) Wednesday. Wish we could bottle Aerial Jones. She has star power you seldom see in Division II women's basketball.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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Joe said he gave them Sunday completely off, so, yeah, they pretty much winged it the first half last night at Edinboro. He said he expected the first half would be rough, which, it clearly was. Once they adjusted at halftime they pulled away pretty quickly.
They know what's coming up and I think are pretty excited to go in to a rowdy Morrow tomorrow night.
SRU had an announced 803 last night. That's normally a really big crowd for them. They will easily have double that tomorrow night -- likely more.
They no doubt turn it up for IUP's visit -- players and fans. IUP has to do the complete opposite of what it did last night (and, last year up there). Take away the hope early.
We'll see if they actually play. Both Indiana and Slippery Rock may get blasted with a winter storm tomorrow. Recall they cancelled last year's game in the KCAC (delayed it a couple weeks due to a bad storm). There may be several PPDs tomorrow.Leave a comment:
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