INDIANA, PA – Trailing by 15 points with just over 13 minutes left in the game, the seventh-ranked Crimson Hawks used a 26-9 run to edge the University of the Sciences 60-58 in a thrilling come-from-behind win over Saturday afternoon at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
The comeback was completed when Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway) sunk an eight-footer with about four seconds left, getting a nice dish off of a baseline drive by Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown). The basket gave IUP the 60-58 lead, but The Sciences had one final chance, with Flo Da-Silva going the length of the floor, but his layup did not fall as the Crimson Hawks clinched the win.
 
It could quite possibly be the biggest comeback win in Joe Lombardi's head coaching tenure at IUP, as the Crimson Hawks remain perfect on the 2014-15 season and pull off a win on the first day of the seventh annual IRMC/Urgicare Classic.
 
Cottrell started the second half run, with a layup at the 12:10 mark to make it a 49-36 ballgame. A three-pointer by Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) a couple of minutes later made it a 10-point difference at 51-41 with just under 10 minutes to play in the game.
 
The Crimson Hawks then got buckets from Chance, Cornell Yarde II (Reading, Pa. /Schuylkill Valley), Daddy Ugbede (San Mateo, Calif./Serra) and Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School) to cut their deficit to four at 53-49 with 4:26 to go on the clock. The four-point lead by The Sciences was the smallest since leading 30-27 with 42 seconds to go in the first half.
 
The Sciences fought back with a jumper by All-American Garret Kerr and the front end of a one-and-one by T-John Casiello to grab a 56-51 lead with 3:23 to play. Cottrell then came up with a huge tip-in on IUP's next possession, and after a Sciences turnover, Norfleet made a layup-and-one to tie the score at 56-56 with 2:07 to go in the game.
 
The game would slow down with limited possessions over the final two minutes, with Kerr battling for a layup to give The Sciences a 58-56 lead with 1:22 to go. On the Crimson Hawks' next possession, Norfleet found Cottrell under the basket for a layup to tie the game again, giving the ball back to The Sciences with under one minute to go.
 
With Kerr looking for an open shot, he hesitated on a three-point attempt, but couldn't find an open teammate and ended up turning the ball back over to the Crimson Hawks with less than 37 seconds left, setting up IUP's final possession.
 
Cottrell led the Crimson Hawks with 14 points and eight rebounds on the night, finishing 7-of-12 from the field while collected two blocks in 24 minutes. Chance had 12 points and five assists while Norfleet had five points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Kerr led all scorers with 18 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds.
 
The Crimson Hawks held an early 9-2 lead, but a 9-2 run by The Sciences later in the first half gave the Devils a 23-17 lead with under six minutes before halftime. They would lead by as many as eight points before going into the break with a 32-27 lead.
 
The Crimson Hawks improve to 6-0 on the season while The Sciences fall to 4-2.
 
IUP is back in action tomorrow, hosting The College of Saint Rose on day two of the IRMC Classic. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m.