Box Score
INDIANA, PA – Four players in double figures helped the 12th-ranked Crimson Hawks defeat Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival Mercyhurst 74-66 in a Wednesday night matchup at the Kovalchick Complex.

Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) and Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) led the way with 18 points apiece. That mark tied a career-high for Chance as he added one rebound and three assists. Norfleet had a solid night, finishing with three rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals.

It took nearly two minutes to get points on the board when Chance got things started for the Crimson Hawks, giving them the early two-point advantage.

The game was tight for most of the first half as neither team was able to get up by more than five points with five lead changes and two ties in the first 20 minutes of play.

The Crimson Hawks held a five-point advantage with just under five minutes to go following a dunk from Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School), Mercyhurst, however, was able to turn up their offense, and take a slim one-point lead into the half.

The Lakers were hot to start the second half, climbing out to a four point lead after just a minute and a half of action. Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) and Norfleet combined for seven straight points that would give the Crimson Hawks the five-point advantage and switch the momentum to IUP.

Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the game, but the Crimson Hawks were able to stay in front of the Lakers, getting up by as much as 10 with just under a minute to go.

Mercyhurst would add a few buckets to close out the game but the Crimson Hawks walked away with the 74-66 win.

In addition to the stellar performances from Chance and Norfleet, Keita and Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) also finished the game in double figures.

Keita recorded 13 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals while Souberbielle finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

As a team, the Crimson Hawks shot 48.9 percent from the floor and were outshot by the Lakers who finished the game with a field goal percentage of 54.3. The difference for IUP was at the charity stripe, where they went 25-of-27. Chance was nearly perfect, making 11-of-12 shots.

Mercyhurst committed 21 personal fouls, compared to just 13 from IUP. They only missed one free throw on the night but only attempted 13 shots on the night.

The Crimson Hawks were outrebounded by the Lakers 23-21 but committed just 10 turnovers to the Lakers' 15.

With the win, IUP sits in sole possession of second place in the PSAC West, having already clinched a spot in the PSAC tournament. The Crimson Hawks sit just behind first place Gannon and above third place Mercyhurst.

The NCAA announced the first set of regional rankings today, which saw the Crimson Hawks in the third spot in the Atlantic Region behind West Liberty and East Stroudsburg. The top eight teams in the region will qualify for the NCAA tournament.

The Crimson Hawks will finish out a three-game homestand on Saturday, hosting Edinboro on Senior Night. They will honor seniors Jesse Bosnik (St. Marys/Elk County Catholic), Keita and Souberbielle.

Edinboro enters the game in the midst of a three-game losing streak with a record of 9-15, 2-12, in last place in the PSAC West.

In the first matchup of the season, IUP escaped the Boro with a 69-66 victory, led by 28 points and eight rebounds from Keita.

Tipoff from the Kovalchick Complex is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.