SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Senior guard
Anthony Glover, Jr. hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left to cap an exciting 67-65 win over rival Slippery Rock Wednesday night at Morrow Field House.
Glover's dagger was a 25-footer from the left wing, stepping out after an attempt to drive just seconds earlier. IUP's offensive possession came after a failed 1-and-1 attempt by Slippery Rock's Micah Till, as
Jacobo Diaz collected the rebound and
Dante Lombardi brought the ball down before handing it off to Glover.
Those three – Diaz, Glover and Lombardi – combined for 63 of the undermanned Crimson Hawks' 67 points on the evening. Diaz scored a game-high 29 points, Glover finished with 20, and Lombardi added 14.
The victory clinched a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament berth for the Crimson Hawks, the program's 11th straight (2008-18). The division leader, IUP is the first team from the PSAC West to clinch a postseason spot.
It was the Crimson Hawks' sixth straight victory as they improved to 17-2 overall and 13-2 in the PSAC. They've swept the season series with Slippery Rock and own a 2.5-game lead over their rivals in the division race.
(Check out the final play and Glover's game-winning shot in a video posted to our Twitter page @IUP_MBB tonight)
Another highlight from Wednesday's win came early in the evening, as Diaz became the 32nd player in IUP history to score 1,000 career points. His milestone bucket came three minutes into the contest, getting an offensive rebounds and put-back layup to hit 1,000 points on the nose. 'Cobo' entered the night with 995 points in his two-plus seasons at IUP, getting the game started with a 3-pointer moments before his layup.
IUP built a 35-24 halftime lead over their rivals on the strength of a 13-4 run to end the half. The Crimson Hawks capitalized on a player scrum with 2:10 to play that ended with Slippery Rock called for two technical fouls. Glover converted all four from the foul line, and Lombardi drilled a 3-pointer to take IUP's lead from four to 10 in moments.
Slippery Rock (17-5, 11-5 PSAC) was a different team in the second half, dictating the tempo and using a huge run and 3-pointers to get back in the game. SRU made eight 3-pointers for the game, seven of those coming in the second half.
The Rock took their first lead of the second half at 56-54 with 8:57 to play, outscoring IUP 22-8 over a 7:35 time frame. They held onto that lead for nearly all of the remaining nine minutes, with IUP cutting its deficit to one on two occasions before Glover's big shot.
This game played like a typical IUP-Slippery Rock matchup, as the teams finished even on fouls (13) and turnovers (12), while The Rock owned a 47-35 rebounding edge and IUP converted 12-of-15 from the foul line compared to SRU's 9-of-17.
Cobo posted his 10th double-double of the year with those 29 points and 14 rebounds. He went 11-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. He dished out three assists and had a steal in 38 minutes.
Glover scored 17 points in the first half, going scoreless in the second until the biggest shot of the night. He made four 3-pointers and finished 6-of-6 at the foul line. Lombardi added three more 3-pointers as the Crimson Hawks made 11-of-26 from deep.
Up next
Another divisional rival for the Crimson Hawks is next on the schedule as they host Gannon (14-7, 10-5 PSAC) Saturday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
