GREENSBURG, Pa. – Redshirt sophomore guard Armoni Foster scored a game-high 23 points and was one of several Crimson Hawks who excelled as eighth-ranked IUP men's basketball blew out Seton Hill 89-38 Saturday afternoon at the McKenna Center.
 
The win gave the Crimson Hawks the outright Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular season title and at No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. It's the fifth straight division title and 10th in the last 11 seasons.
 
It was the Hawks' fifth straight win as they improved to 23-2 overall and 18-2 in league play.
 
IUP put together its best shooting performance of the season, converting 61.1 percent (33-of-54) from the field, including 7-of-14 from 3-point range. The Hawks also went 16-of-19 from the foul line.
 
Leading by just 12 points at the break, the Crimson Hawks absolutely dominated the second half, outscoring the Griffins (4-20, 3-17 PSAC) 52-13 in the final 20 minutes. The Crimson Hawks shot 68 percent in the second half with eight different players seeing the scoring column.
 
IUP opened the half with a 19-0 run, going 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line to turn that slim 12-point lead into a 56-25 advantage. A 14-0 later followed and the Hawks finished the game on a 12-1 run as they never let up.
 
The IUP defense forced Seton Hill into 22 turnovers with 14 steals and blocks five shots. The Hawks also outrebounded the Griffins 36-26.
 
Who stood out
In addition to Foster's 23 points, he grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals and a block in 37 minutes. He shot 7-of-15 from the field and went 7-of-8 from the foul line.
 
Senior guard Malik Miller did not get the start but came off the bench to score 17 points in just 21 minutes. He shot 7-of-10 from the field and made a couple of 3-pointers, adding five assists and three steals.
 
Shawndale Jones scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Dave Morris had six points but led the Hawks with eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals in 26 minutes. Ethan Porterfield had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with four blocks.
 
Notes
The Crimson Hawks entered the game ranked No. 8 in the NABC Top 25 and No. 6 in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 polls … IUP is also No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings … The Crimson Hawks swept the season series with Seton Hill, outscoring the Griffins an average of 39.0 points … The 51-point margin was the second highest of the season (+67, Bethany) for IUP … The 38 points allowed is the lowest since giving up 35 to Lock Haven in February 2011 … It's tied for the sixth lowest allowed in program history … IUP has 17 80-point games this season, the most in the head coach Joe Lombardi era.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks start the final week of the regular season Wednesday with a trip to Clarion (5-22, 4-17 PSAC). Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.