SLIPPERY ROCK, PA – Four Crimson Hawks scored in double-figures but 16th-ranked IUP was outrebounded by Slippery Rock by nearly 20 in a 75-71 upset loss on Saturday evening at the Morrow Field House.
 
The loss snapped IUP's eight-game win streak as the Crimson Hawks fell to 15-3 overall and 9-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). It was Slippery Rock's first win in three games as SRU improved to 13-5 overall and 8-4 in the conference.
 
Slippery Rock dominated the boards, collecting 22 on the offensive glass alone en route to 47 on the night. IUP finished with 29. SRU used the rebounding advantage to score 27 second chance points, making up for its paltry 38.6 field goal percentage.
 
The Crimson Hawks shot 49 percent on the night, but connected on just 8-of-23 shots in the second half as SRU outscored IUP 39-29 in the comeback win.
 
IUP jumped out to an early 8-2 lead with the help of six points by Daddy Ugbede (San Mateo, Calif./Serra). Guards Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) and Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) took over from there, combining for 18 points in the first half alone as the Crimson Hawks led by as many as 10 points before heading into the break with a 42-36 halftime lead.
 
They jumped out to an 11-point lead in the second half as Shawn Dyer (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) knocked down a three-pointer to put IUP on top 49-38 with 18:26 still on the clock. SRU responded with a 12-2 run over a four minute span to cut the Crimson Hawks lead to one at 51-50 with under 15 minutes to play.
 
An SRU bucket two minutes later gave them the lead at 54-53, the start of a tight final 12 minutes of action. The Crimson Hawks grabbed the lead shortly after, going up by five at 63-58 with 6:28 to play. But SRU came right back, going back up on top on a basket by Chaquille Pratt with 2:52 to play.
 
Ugbede tied the game with a pair of free throws with 1:38 on the clock, but SRU made another basket and went 6-of-7 from the free throw line down the stretch to pull out the victory.
 
Pratt finished with game-highs of 26 points and 15 rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench.
 
Chance led the Crimson Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds, going 7-of-13 from the field in 39 minutes of action. Norfleet scored 15 points to go along with four assists while Ugbede finished with 12 points and Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) came off the bench to add 11.
 
It was the first IUP loss to its rival since the 2012-13 regular season, a streak of four straight wins for the Crimson Hawks, including two in the postseason. That loss for IUP also came on the road and preceded wins by the Crimson Hawks in both the PSAC and NCAA tournaments.
 
The Crimson Hawks look to rebound on Wednesday when they host Pitt-Johnstown at the Kovalchick Complex. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.