JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Senior guard
Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) tied a career-high with 31 points to help lead the IUP men's basketball team to an 86-74 win over Pitt-Johnstown in a road conference matchup on Wednesday evening.
The Crimson Hawks shot 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded Pitt-Johnstown 45-to-29 on the night to win their sixth straight, improving to 12-5 overall and 9-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
It's the second time this year that Norfleet has reached the 30-point mark as he went 11-of-23 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and also went 6-of-6 from the foul line. He added three rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes.
He was joined by two other Crimson Hawks in double-figures, including sophomore guard
Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) with 20 points and senior forward
Daddy Ugbede (Gardena, Calif./Serra) with 18 points in 18 minutes off the bench. All of Glover's attempts came from beyond the arc, going 6-of-9 from three-point range, while Ugbede finished 9-of-12 from the field.
IUP led for all by 41 seconds, taking a 14-point lead with a 15-4 run midway through the first half. The Crimson Hawks still led by double-figures at halftime, taking a 45-34 lead into the break.
Pitt-Johnstown (9-6, 6-5 PSAC) tried to make a second half comeback with an 11-2 run over 3:07 to cut the Crimson Hawks' lead to seven at 59-52 with just under 11 minutes remaining. IUP responded with seven straight points with built its lead to as many as 17 in the final minutes before coming away with the 12-point victory.
The Crimson Hawks remain in a tie for first place in the Western Division with their 9-3 league record, now tied with only Mercyhurst for the division lead.
Freshman forward
Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) came off the bench to score four points and grab a career-high 14 rebounds in 35 minutes, adding three assists and two steals.
The Crimson Hawks will go for their seventh straight win at home this Saturday when they host Clarion. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is set for 7:30 p.m.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPMens_Bball.
