Boxscore

Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 22 points, Willi Estrella (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Escuela sto Hermano Miguel) had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and IUP survived a second half rally to defeat Lake Erie 80-76 Monday night at Memorial Field House.

The Crimson Hawks (2-1) rebounded from a loss at Bowie State to win their 24th straight home game while handing the Storm their first defeat of the season in three games.

IUP saw its 16-point halftime lead trimmed all the way down to 79-76 on a 3-pointer by Riley Thomas with 20 seconds. After a traveling call against Scooter Renkin (Midlothian, VA/Blue Ridge), the Storm got one chance to tie it, but Brandon Smith was off the mark and Darryl Webb (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) made the first of two free throws to ice the win.

Sanders finished 6 of 10 from 3-point distance to eclipse his previous best of five in a game done several times. His 22 points were one shy of his career high set vs. Alderson-Broaddus a year ago. Estrella's double-double was the second of his IUP career, with the first coming in last year's PSAC championship game win over Kutztown.

Webb finished with 16 points as well as eight boards, and Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) dished out nine assists to match his career high. The Crimson Hawks shot 49.1 percent from the floor, including 55.6 percent in the second half, but strong Lake Erie rebounding in the second half, during which it held a 21-6 advantage, kept the Storm in the game.

Ethan Bradshaw led Lake Erie with 25 points and eight assists and Smith finished with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

IUP led by 16 at halftime and was ahead 53-42 with 15:48 remaining before Lake Erie began its rally. The Storm ran off 10-2 run and got within 55-52 on a layup by Rich Austin with 12:46 to go. A bucket by Estrella and 3-pointer by Webb pushed it back up to an eight-point margin, but Lake Erie again fought back.

The margin was reduced to as few as two on two occasions, the last time at 66-64 on a layup by Bradshaw at the 6:57 mark. The Crimson Hawks were able to hold onto their slight lead with several key baskets and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.

Estrella and Renkin followed the Bradshaw basket with two free throws each to give IUP a 70-64 lead. Bradshaw got it back to 72-69 at the 3:31 mark with a 3-pointer, but Sanders answered with his sixth 3-pointer of the game 24 seconds later to make it a six-point lead.

Smith answered a jumper by Bradshaw with two free throws as did Renkin after a hoop by Thomas made it 77-73 with just under a minute left.

IUP is back in action Saturday at Seton Hill. The Crimson Hawks do not return home until Dec. 11-12 when they host the Indiana Regional Medical Center Classic at Memorial Field House.