Box Score

KUTZTOWN, PA - Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) scored 18 points in the second half for a career-high 33 as the IUP men's basketball team downed Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) foe Kutztown by a score of 78-72 Saturday afternoon.

Smith appeared primed for a big afternoon from the opening tip Saturday, when he quickly deposited a layup and jumper when on IUP's first possessions of the game. Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) would later nail a three-pointer and Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) would slip in for a layup to give the Crimson Hawks a 14-6 lead just six minutes into the first half. 

Devon McBride would have the hot hand early for Kutztown, converting on a pair of three's to keep the Golden Bears within striking distance, but the hero of Friday's dramatic win over East Stroudsburg, Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School), would spark an IUP run with a jumper and a layup on back-to-back possessions late in the first half.

The Crimson Hawks would head into the break with a 37-27 lead when Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) and Kevin Jones (Washington, DC/Bishop O'Connell) both added buckets as time winded down in the period. Smith had 15 points in the first stanza, while Souberbielle chipped in nine. Nate Edwards had 11 points in the first half for Kutzotwn.

Sanders would get the second period started on a good note for IUP with a three-pointer, but the Golden Bears would put together a 14-3 run over the next five minutes to shrink the Crimson Hawks lead to just two with under 15 minutes to play.

Smith would respond with a quick four points for IUP, but Kutztown would continue their second-half surge. After baskets by McBride and Edwards cut the deficit to just one, the Crimson Hawks bench would be hit with a technical foul, allowing Edwards to knock down a pair of free-throws and give the Golden Bears their first lead of the game with 12:40 to play.

The lead would not last long however, as Smith took over the Keystone Arena. He ripped off six consecutive points to put IUP back in control with under nine minutes to play, and would extend the Crimson Hawks lead to six with a three just two minutes later. Chance would also get in the act for IUP, depositing six points of his own to keep Kutztown at arm's length.

Tyler Brooks would hit a jumper with under two minutes to play to continue the fight for the Golden Bears, both Smith would deliver the final blow when he delivered another layup to extend the lead to seven with 1:23 to play in the game.

With the win, the Crimson Hawks are now 7-1, 5-1 in the PSAC, while Kutztown falls to 4-5, 2-4 in the conference. Smith's was 14-of-23 from the floor for his 33 points and added six rebounds for the Crimson Hawks. Chance and Souberbielle finished with 10 points apiece, while Danny Ayebo added nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Edwards led the way for Kutztown with 25 points and five rebounds, while Eric Brennan chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.

 The Crimson Hawks return to the Kovalchick Complex next weekend when they host the 2011 Indiana Regional Medical Center Classic. IUP tips off against West Virginia Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, before taking on Urbana at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.