SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Crimson Hawks shot 52 percent and outscored Shippensburg in the second half but couldn't rebound from a late run by the Raiders as third-ranked IUP men's basketball lost 69-66 Saturday night at Heiges Field House.
 
It was the first loss of the season for the Crimson Hawks, who fell to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic conference (PSAC) play.
 
IUP led by five points with 5:32 left but Shippensburg went on a 12-2 run to take a 5-point lead of its own and led 67-61 with under a minute to play. Sophomore guard Dave Morris drilled a 3-pointer and after a missed Ship jumper he knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a 67-66 game with five seconds left.
 
With both teams in the double bonus, Shippensburg's Jake Biss converted two free throws on the other end as the Raiders took a 69-66 lead.
 
Senior guard Malik Miller raced down the court after the ensuing inbound but his 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim to give Shippensburg the win.
 
Miller scored 16 points and was IUP's top scorer at halftime with 10. Redshirt sophomore guard Armoni Foster also scored 16 points, including 10 in the second half on the strength of 6-of-7 at the foul line.
 
Morris scored all 13 of his points in the second half, helping the Crimson Hawks climb back into the game after trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half. IUP shot 29.0 percent (9-of-31) in the first 20 minutes but came back to shot 15-of-29 in the second half.
 
Senior forward Chucky Humphries had 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
 
Notes
The Crimson Hawks entered the game ranked No. 3 in the NABC Top 25 and No. 3 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls … This was IUP's first road loss in the last 11 games away from home dating back to last season … IUP head coach Joe Lombardi is 8-4 lifetime against Shippensburg, including 3-3 against former assistant coach Chris Fite … The Raiders are the first ranked opponent for the Crimson Hawks, checking in at No. 25 in the D2SIDA media poll.
 
Up next
This was the last action of 2019 for the Crimson Hawks, who return to the court January 3 at home against Lock Haven.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.