INDIANA, Pa. – Junior guard
Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) scored a season-high 20 points to help lead IUP men's basketball to an 80-57 win over the University of the Sciences on Saturday afternoon at the Kovalchick Complex.
Lombardi went 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the free throw line, dishing out five assists in 34 minutes of action.
It was the fourth straight win – and fifth in the last six games – for the Crimson Hawks, who improved to 5-3 overall on the season.
The Sciences (3-3) used inspired play to take control early, but the Crimson Hawks bounced back with a 14-3 run to take a 16-12 lead near the midway point of the opening half. Guard
Anthony Glover, Jr. (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) was the catalyst of the IUP run, scoring seven of his 18 points over a 4:02 span.
The Crimson Hawks had another run left in them before halftime, scoring the final 11 points after The Sciences had taken a 29-27 lead. A coast-to-coast bucket by Glover helped IUP take a 38-29 lead into the break.
Glover opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers as the lead quickly increased to 15. The lead became 21 with an
Ayron Hutton (Virginia Beach, Va./Cape Henry) 3-pointer at the 11:52 mark, and ballooned to as many as 25 on a layup by
Dylan Benton (Bangor, Pa./Bangor Area) with a minute to go.
Benton was one of 11 IUP players to see court time, with eight getting in the scoring column.
Glover went 7-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, to score his 18 points in 29 minutes. Forward
Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) added 14 points on 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-2 from the line.
The Crimson Hawks posted their best performance from the foul line of the season, making 18-of-21 freebies. Their 12 3-pointers on the day are also the second most in a game this season.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks head east to take on West Chester and Cheyney in conference crossover play next weekend.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPMens_Bball.
