EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The sixth-ranked Crimson Hawks opened their 2017-18 season with a tough loss to a tough opponents, falling to 20th-ranked Findlay 80-61 at the Ford Center on Friday afternoon. The game was part of the season-opening Small College Basketball (SCB) Hall of Fame Classic in Evansville this weekend.
 
IUP fell victim to a hot-shooting Findlay team, as the Oilers converted 57 percent (32-of-56) from the floor and 42 percent (10-of-24) from three-point range. Findlay, which defeated Toledo 86-83 in an exhibition last week, pressured the Crimson Hawks into 20 turnovers.
 
After a rough opening 20 minutes, IUP caught fire in the second half draining five of its first nine shots as the offense came to life. A three-pointer from senior guard Anthony Glover, Jr. (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) seemed to relieve some of the early pressure from a 42-24 halftime deficit.
 
Glover scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the second half, helping the Crimson Hawks shoot over 53 percent as a team in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Oilers, however, didn't let up as they shot 64 percent and outscored the Crimson Hawks 38-37 in the second half. Findlay's Elijah King scored a game-high 21 points, making six three-pointers, and Taren Sullivan added 20 points and six assists.
 
Junior guard Dante Lombardi (Indiana, Pa./The Kiski School) was IUP's only other player to reach double-figures with 13 points, while junior forward Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) had eight points and 11 rebounds. Freshman forward Jalen Vaughns (Queens, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West) provided a late spark off the bench with nine points in nine minutes.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks weekend doesn't get much easier as they square off against 10th-ranked Ferris State on Saturday at 1 p.m. Ferris State defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 84-79 on Friday.
 
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For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPMens_Bball.