INDIANA, Pa. – IUP guards combined to score 73 points to lead the Crimson Hawks to an 83-74 home victory over Clarion in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) men's basketball match up on Saturday evening at the Kovalchick Complex.
It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Crimson Hawks, as they improved to 13-5 overall and moved into first place in the PSAC Western Division with a 10-3 league record. IUP is now one-half game ahead of Mercyhurst (12-4, 9-3) in the division.
The Crimson Hawks perimeter players ruled the night, with the top four all reaching double-figures in scoring and shot a combined 26-of-47 (55.3 percent) from the field, including 10-of-15 from three-point range.
Senior guard
Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) scored a team-high 22 points on the night, dishing out five assists and grabbing four rebounds. It was his 11th 20-point game of the year, including each of the last three games. Freshman guard
Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points in 29 minutes, draining 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Sophomore
Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) scored 18 points and grabbed six boards while junior
Brandon Spain (Baltimore, Md./Glen Burnie) added 14 and dished out three assists in just 18 minutes of work.
In a game that appeared to be headed towards a blowout win in favor of IUP during the first half, turned into a tight contest midway through the second. Clarion (10-9, 7-6 PSAC) wiped away a 15-point deficit early in the second with a 19-7 run, cutting the Crimson Hawks' lead to 53-50 with 13 minutes to play. The Golden Eagles then tied the game at 57-57 with 9:11 to play.
IUP responded and with the help of back-to-back buckets by sophomore forward
CJ Rudisill (Pittsburgh, Pa./South Fayette), went back on top by five at 68-63 with 6:34 to play. IUP later scored six straight points, with a 15-footer by Spain giving the Crimson Hawks a 74-66 lead with five minutes to play.
With the Crimson Hawks holding on to a 79-72 lead, the defense came up with a huge stop as Glover forced a turnover and then sealed the game on the other end with a pair of free throws.
IUP is now 6-1 against PSAC West opponents this season and 8-2 at home. Tonight's win was the Crimson Hawks' 10th straight victory over Clarion, dating back to the 2010-11 season.
IUP returns to the court next Wednesday with a home game against Seton Hill. Tipoff at the Kovalchick Complex is scheduled 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.
