Box Score Box Score

CHEYNEY, PA – IUP rallied from 10 down with just over 10 minutes remaining but missed shots in the final 1:27 proved to be the dagger as the 15th-ranked Crimson Hawks fell at Cheyney 64-60 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

The loss drops IUP to 4-1 on the season while Cheyney improves to 2-1, as the contest was the conference opener for both teams.

The Crimson Hawks started their comeback down 53-43 with 10:22 remaining, as Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) drilled a three to bring the deficit down to seven.

Both teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, with IUP getting a three by Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) and a layup by Keita to make it a 57-51 lead with 7:03 left. The Crimson Hawks then forced back-to-back turnovers, with Souberbielle and Keita converting baskets on the other end to make it a two-point game with 5:36 remaining.

The Wolves got their lead back to six at 61-55 after IUP turned the ball over twice but a technical foul on Cheyney's Deshawn Curtis with 3:28 left helped turn the momentum back to the Crimson Hawks. After the foul, Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) knocked down both of his foul shots before drilling a three-pointer to make it a one-point game at 61-60 with 2:55 left.

Cheyney answered with a jumper on the ensuing possession to take a 63-60 lead and then forced an IUP turnover on the next possession to keep the lead at three.

But the Crimson Hawks would go cold, missing three three-pointers in the final 1:27, including one by Souberbielle with five seconds left on the clock, helping to seal the win for Cheyney.

Down 33-25 at the half, the Crimson Hawks were twice down by 10 points in the second half before starting their comeback, shooting 52 percent from the field in the second stanza.

Keita led the way for IUP with 16 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from three-point range. He added five rebounds in 33 minutes. Souberbielle scored 12 points to go along with six rebounds while Wells had 10 points.

The Crimson Hawks took a 9-2 lead early in the first with the help of baskets by Souberbielle, Keita, Scooter Renkin (Midlothian, VA/Blue Ridge) and Dan Ayebo (Indiana/Indiana). Cheyney would fight back to regain the lead at 13-12 at the 9:24 mark, as both teams would trade advantages over the next several minutes before the Wolves finished the half on an 11-5 run.

IUP will now face West Chester – which it lost to in the PSAC semifinals a year ago – on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.