Box Score

MANSFIELD, PA – The sixth-ranked Crimson Hawks held off a second half rally in Mansfield as IUP escaped with a narrow 61-56 victory over the Mountaineers on Friday afternoon in Decker Gymnasium.

IUP held an eight-point lead at halftime, but Mansfield stormed back in the game's second stanza to outscore the Crimson Hawks 33-29 and bring it to within five points.

The second half started with the Crimson Hawks building a 14-point lead at 44-30 less than six minutes in. Mansfield later went on a 9-1 run to cut its deficit to 47-43 with 9:36 remaining. IUP went back on top by double-figures at 56-46 when Kalusha Ndoumbe Ngollo (Paris, France/Saint Andrews) sunk a pair of free throws with 6:14 remaining.

Free throws by Xavier Warner and a bucket by Joe Bell over the next few minutes made it a 56-51 game with 2:40 remaining as IUP turned the ball over three times and missed on their only field goal attempt.

Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) stopped the Crimson Hawks' scoring draught with a pair of free throws at the 1:49 mark but a free throw by Charles Pemberton and another field goal by Bell made it a four-point game with 47 seconds left on the clock. A layup by Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) on the next possession and a free throw with 24 seconds left would help seal the game as IUP held on for the win.

Souberbielle led all scorers with 18 points, going 6-of-12 from the field while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out three assists. Norfleet and Mathis Keita (Thionville, France/Insep) each added 13 points with Keita grabbing six boards and Norfleet racking up six steals.

IUP made 51.2 percent of its field goal attempts and went 15-of-23 from the foul line. However, Mansfield forced the Crimson Hawks into 21 turnovers. Bell posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers.

Mansfield held an early four point lead at 8-4 before the Crimson Hawks reeled off 13 straight points to take a 17-8 lead at the 12:53 mark in the first half. They would go on to lead by as many as 14 points at 24-10 during the half before heading into the break with a 32-23 advantage.

The Crimson Hawks are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to face Lock Haven. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.