INDIANA, Pa. – Redshirt junior forward
Blake Danielak (Georgetown, Tex./Liberty Hill) scored a game-high 18 points to pace No. 24 IUP men's basketball in a 101-82 season-opening win over visiting Lincoln on Friday night at the Memorial Field House.
The game finished off the first day of the S&T Bank Atlantic Region Challenge at IUP, which saw Urbana defeat Pitt-Johnstown earlier in the evening.
Danielak was one of six IUP scorers in double-figures, as the Crimson Hawks used balanced scoring among all 10 players in the victory.
Sophomore guard
Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) finished with 16 points; redshirt senior forward
Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway), junior guard
Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit), and freshman guard
Malik Miller (Farrell, Pa./Farrell) each scored 14; and sophomore forward
Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) added 10.
Cottrell also tallied a double-double, adding 12 boards in just 23 minutes of action. It was his first game back after missing all but six games last year with an injury.
It was also Danielak's first game in more than a year, redshirting last year after transferring from Drake. He came off the bench to go 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, grabbing five rebounds and swiping two steals.
The Crimson Hawks made 11 three-pointers on the night, with Lombardi also draining three himself. Glover dished out seven assists to go with his 14 points in 27 minutes of work, and Diaz almost added another double-double with eight rebounds. Miller, a true freshman, had a successful collegiate debut as he went 4-of-8 from the field, 5-of-5 from the foul line, and dished out three assists in 22 minutes off the bench.
IUP held a 48-32 edge at halftime, shooting 44 percent from the field. The Crimson Hawks then shot 50 percent in the second half, putting up 53 points in the final 20 minutes. They also took advantage of their frequent foul line trips, finishing 30-of-37 at the stripe.
The Crimson Hawks will return to their usual home at the Kovalchick Complex tomorrow, as they wrap up the Atlantic Region Challenge against Urbana. Tipoff 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.
