Game One: Virginia State (3-1) vs. #9 Indiana University of Pennsylvania (4-0)
Game Two: Virginia State (3-1) vs. Pitt-Johnstown (3-1) |
| Dates |
Game 1: Friday, November 27, 2021
Game 2: Saturday, November 28, 2021 |
| Times |
Game 1: 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: 1:30 p.m. |
| Location |
Indiana, PA (Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex)
Johnstown, PA (Mountain Cats gym) |
| Live Stats |
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| Social Media |
@VSUsports | @vsutrojans_1882 |
The VSU men's basketball team are looking to return to the 804 with two more wins under their belt after taking on Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pitt-Johnstown University. The Trojans will attempt to bounce back after taking their first loss of the season against Barton College.
Last Time Out
- Virginia State's bench play assisted in giving the squad a shot to win as the VSU bench outscored BC's bench 35-14.
- Defensively, the Trojans forced 12 turnovers and was able to turn them into 21 points.
- Neither of the teams were able to knock down the three-ball as the two shot under 25% while scoring 50+ points in the paint.
- For the third game in a row, Francis Fitzgerald was the leading scorer for the Trojans as he finished with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
- Jordan Hernandez scored double-digits for the second time this season as he accounted for 13 points going 6-of-8 from the field along with seven rebounds.
- Jonathan Norfleet added 12 points with two dimes.
- Ethan Wilson led the charge off the bench with nine points and two assists in the evening contest.
Scouting the Crimson Hawks
The Crimson Hawks of Indiana University of Pennsylvania are a part of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and ranked #9/3 in the country. The Crimson Hawks enter the IUP Thanksgiving Classic on a four-game win streak beating three of four opponents by 20 or more points. Offensively, IUP has three players that average double figures on the season. IUP's aggressive offensive play allows them to shoot 15 free throws per contest. The Crimson Hawks have great ball movement offensively as the squad averages 14 assists per matchup. Defensively, IUP outrebounds their opponents 120-111 on the year. IUP is also extremely active in the passing lane averaging six steals while also averaging four blocks per contest. Armoni Foster is IUP's leading scorer averaging 19 points per contest. His best game came against Gannon where he scored 30 points. Foster uses his offensive prowess to get his teammates open as well as he has a team-high 11 assists on the year. Tomiwa Sulaiman leads his squad in the rebounding category averaging 11 per game.
Scouting the Mountain Cats
The Mountain Cats of Pitt-Johnstown University are a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). PJU is 3-1 so far with all of their wins coming on the road or at a neutral site. Offensively, the Mountain Cats have scored close to triple digits in almost every game this season while beating opponents by 12 points on average. PJU shoots 50% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. The squad shoots 18 free throws per game while knocking down 75% of them. Defensively, PJU gives up close to 80 points per contest while holding opponents to a 39% field percentage. The Mountain Cats use their length to their advantage on defense as they average four blocks per game. PJU evenly distributes the ball well as Ryan Smith (16), John Paul-Kromka (15), Joe Batt (13), Caiden Landis (11) average double figures on the season. Fred Mulbah leads the team in the assists category with 28. Mulbah is coming off a 12-assist game against Allegheny.
