Box Score

CLARION, PA - Scooter Renkin (Midlothian, VA/Blue Ridge) poured in a game-high 19 points and dished six assists as the seventh-ranked IUP men's basketball team get back on the winning track with a 65-54 win over Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action Saturday.

Renkin had a superb shooting night for the Crimson Hawks (18-3, 14-3 PSAC), going 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point territory en route to his 19 points. Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) chipped in 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with five rebounds, while Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) finished with 11 points and five boards.

After a back-and-forth start to the contest, the Crimson Hawks began to pull away midway through the first thanks to a pair of free throws from Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) and a Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) triple. The IUP advantage would balloon to as much as 16 in the first half before Clarion began to chip away.

Trailing by 17 with under eight minutes to play in the second, the Golden Eagles (5-16, 3-14 PSAC) would rip off a 9-0 run to slice the deficit to just eight with 3:52 to play. Mike Kromka bookended the run for Clarion with a pair of layups, and assisted on a Marques Jones three-ball.

The Crimson Hawks would respond like they have all season long, however, knocking down free throws in the game's waning moments to wipe away any thoughts of a Clarion upset.

Kromka paced the Golden Eagles with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Corey Bellovich finished with 14 points and three boards. Jones added 11 points, but shot just 3-of-11 from the field. As a team, Clarion shot just 38.2% from the floor and went just 3-of-23 from behind the arc.

IUP shot extremely well as a team Saturday, making 50.0% of their shots from the field and 35.3% from three-point territory. The Crimson Hawks did have 18 turnovers on the night, but out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 36-22.

The Crimson Hawks will look to make it two-in-a-row when they return home Wednesday to take on rival California. Tipoff from the Kovalchick Complex is set for 7:30 p.m.