Box Score

INDIANA, PA - Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) netted a team-high 18 points including 4-of-5 from behind the arc as the IUP men's basketball team opened up the 2012-13 regular season with a 91-49 blowout win over Pitt-Greensburg Saturday night.

Chance also dished out six assists for the Crimson Hawks, while Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and seven helpers.

Despite the lopsided final decision, it was the Bobcats who would gain the early advantage, racing out to a 7-6 lead in the game's first minutes thanks to a pair of layups from David Palmer and a triple from Mike Connelly.

Unfortunately for Pitt-Greensburg the one-point lead would be their last of the evening, as the Crimson Hawks ripped off a 14-0 run over the next four minutes to take control midway through the first half. Back-to-back jumpers from Blake Vedder (Chesterland, OH/West Geauga) kick-started the run, while a three and a layup from Keita capped it.

The IUP lead would balloon to 24 with just over three minutes to play in the period when Vedder slipped into the lane for an easy deuce, but a trio of free throws from Brian Heinle and another Connelly three would trim the margin 17 at the break.

Brock Witkowski would cut the deficit to just 14 in the opening moments of the second half with a trey off of an assist from Anthony Papini, but the Crimson Hawks would key a 12-1 run that spanned 2:07 to build a 51-26 lead with 16:41 to play.

IUP would lead by as much as 44 on three different occasions thanks to a pair of Chris Edwards (Philadelphia/North Catholic) hoops, and Anthony Rocco (Northern Cambria, Pa. /Northern Cambria) would polish off the victory with a jumper in the game's closing moments.

Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) finished with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and six assists, while Vedder added 11 points, nine boards and a game-high four blocks. Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) finished with nine points, five assists and three rebounds, and Josh Wiegand (Whiteford, MD/John Carroll) tallied eight points and six rebounds.

Connelly led the way for Pitt-Greensburg with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point territory, while Palmer chipped in 12 points and pulled down nine boards.

The Crimson Hawks (1-0) are back in action at the Kovalchick Complex this Wednesday when they host Bowie State in their annual “Movember” game. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.