It’s a busy opening day for college basketball at the KCAC today, with three games on the schedule. The action tips off at noon when the IUP women open their season against Penn State New Kensington.
It will be the start of coach Craig Carey’s second season at IUP after an 18-10 campaign last year, when Carey was hired just before the season started. He will welcome four new players to the roster and all are expected to get substantial minutes. They will complement returning All-PSAC West first teamer Kiera Baughman and fellow returning starters Maria Cerro, Teirra Preston, and Gina Adams. Carey says it will be different this year than it was last season, because the returning players have a year in his system and can help the newcomers.
IUP’s women were picked third in the PSAC West in the preseason coaches’ poll.
The women’s game will be followed up by the men playing in the Hilton Garden Inn Tip-Off Classic, featuring two games today and two more tomorrow. Today’s schedule has UPJ taking on Notre Dame of Ohio at 5:30, followed by the fourth-ranked IUP men battling Concord at 7:30.
Coach Joe Lombardi is in the rare position of welcoming seven newcomers to his team following the graduation of top scorers Shawndale Jones and Dave Morris and the transfer of Tomiwa Sulaiman. Lombardi says the early season will be a learning process for his team.
Jack Benedict and Tony Coccagna have the call of the IUP/Concord men’s game tonight at 7:15 on 92.5 FM U92.
UPJ will play Concord tomorrow and IUP will play Notre Dame.
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