INDIANA, Pa. – Five players scored in double-figures for the Crimson Hawks as 24th-ranked and third seeded IUP cruised to an 82-63 victory over Pitt-Johnstown in the first round of the 2015 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men's Basketball Championships on Saturday night.
 
Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) scored a game-high 18 points and dished out eight assists for the Crimson Hawks, who advance to the quarterfinal round to face second seeded Mercyhurst on Tuesday. The Lakers received a first round bye and will host the quarterfinal matchup with a tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
IUP improved to 24-5 on the season while the sixth-seeded Mountain Cats end their season with a 12-15 overall record.
 
The Crimson Hawks shot nearly 52 percent from the field during the game, with consistent play on the offensive end in each half.
 
It was the Mountain Cats, however, that got out to the early lead as they made seven of their first 10 shots to take an 19-16 lead. Ian Vescovi was the catalyst for UPJ, scoring eight points with two assists in the first seven minutes of play.
 
IUP jumped right back with a 14-2 run with the help of three-pointers by Shawn Dyer (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) and Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School), taking a 30-21 lead over the Mountain Cats with under five minutes to play in the half. UPJ brought the deficit back to six with the shooting of A.J. Leahey and Vescovi, but a string of exciting plays on IUP's offensive end helped the Crimson Hawks end the half on a 10-2 run as they took a 44-30 lead into the break.
 
IUP scored those 10 points over a 1:19 span, with five points coming from Chance while Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) knocked down a three and also served an alley-oop up to Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) for a dunk.
 
The Mountain Cats were able to get the foul line early and often in the second half, going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe in the first seven minutes to cut IUP's lead to nine at 51-42. Jeffers and Norfleet then helped IUP rattle off seven straight points to get its lead back to 16 less than two minutes later.
 
IUP finished off the Mountain Cats down the stretch, using a 14-4 run over the final minutes to extend the lead to 21 and would eventually wrap up the 19-point victory.
 
All five IUP starters shot at least 50 percent from the floor, while two more came off the bench to connect on more than half of their shots.
 
Chance made 6-of-12 shots from the floor and also went 5-of-5 from the foul line with four rebounds and just one turnover in 39 minutes. Dyer scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and added six rebounds while Norfleet finished with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Jeffers had 15 points in 27 minutes and Daddy Ugbede (Gardena, Calif./Serra) came off the bench to score 13 points and add six rebounds in 20 minutes.
 
Vescovi led the Mountain Cats with 22 points.
 
The Crimson Hawks outrebounded UPJ 35-to-24 and held the best three-point shooting team in the PSAC to connect on just 4-of-14 long range shots on the night.
 
It was IUP head coach Joe Lombardi's 197th career victory, including his 11th PSAC tournament win. The Crimson Hawks are now 11-4 in the conference tournament in eight seasons under Lombardi, dating back to 2008.
 
With the eight assists, Chance extended his school record to 468 for his career.
 
In the other first round game in the PSAC West, fourth seed Slippery Rock defeated fifth seed Edinboro 64-60. SRU will also head to Erie on Tuesday and face top seeded Gannon in the quarterfinals. If Gannon wins, the Golden Knights will host the semifinals and championship of the PSAC tournament next Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8. If SRU upsets Gannon and the Crimson Hawks defeat Mercyhurst, then IUP – the highest remaining seed in the West – will host the final four teams.
 
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