CLARION, Pa. – An IUP second half comeback that included an 18-3 run gave the Crimson Hawks a dramatic 69-68 win at Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Tippin Gymnasium.
 
The victory kept the Crimson Hawks' win streak alive as it's reached 13 straight games. IUP has a 19-5 overall record and now has a 3.5-game lead in the PSAC Western Division with a 16-3 league mark. Clarion is still in postseason contention at 12-13 and 9-10 in the PSAC.
 
Senior guard Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) tallied his 16th 20-point game of the season with 22 points, going 9-of-13 from the foul line. He added six rebounds and three assists in a full 40 minutes.
 
Junior Brandon Spain (Baltimore, Md./Glen Burnie) scored 12 points and had eight rebounds from his guard spot, while also forcing a couple of key turnovers during IUP's second half comeback.
 
The Crimson Hawks' comeback started with a three by Norfleet to cut Clarion's lead to 55-50 with 7:29 to play. A pair of free throws by Norfleet with just under five to play put IUP on top 58-57, its first lead in more than 30 minutes of play. Norfleet later gave IUP a 65-58 lead on a jumper with 2:34 to play.
 
Clarion did not give in, cutting the Crimson Hawks' lead to three a minute later by Spain answered with a 12-foot baseline jumper to keep the Golden Eagles at arm's length. Clarion's Rob Agurs scored the game's next five points to make it a 68-67 ballgame with 12 seconds remaining.
 
Norfleet split a pair of free throws with 9.9 seconds to give IUP a two-point lead before fouling Agurs and sending him to the line with 2.5 to play. After making the first to get it back to within one, Agurs missed the second, with senior forward Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) getting fouled on the rebound. Hanner missed both and a three-quarter court shot by Agurs missed as the Crimson Hawks secured the win.
 
IUP shot 52.0 percent (13-of-25) during its second half comeback, limiting Clarion to 33.3 percent (8-of-24) and forcing the Golden Eagles into nine turnovers in the final 20 minutes. Norfleet scored 15 of his 22 in the second stanza, going 8-of-11 from the foul line.
 
Norfleet and Spain were two of four Crimson Hawks to reach double-figures on the night, with senior forward Daddy Ugbede (Gardena, Calif./Serra) scoring 13 points while sophomore guard Anthony Glover (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) adding 10.
 
The Crimson Hawks will look to keep their streak going with another road game, traveling to Slippery Rock (13-11, 8-10) on Saturday. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPMens_Bball.