MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The top-ranked IUP men's basketball team used another balanced effort on both ends of the floor, zooming past Millersville with a 76-45 win on Friday in PSAC crossover play.
IUP (11-0, 5-0) was playing as the number one team in the nation for the first time since 1995-96 and did not disappoint with a resounding effort. The Hawks recorded their 11th consecutive win in the series with Millersville (6-5, 3-2), limiting the Marauders to just 30.5% shooting on the evening.
Dave Morris paced the Hawks with 19 points (8-12 FG) with four assists and three rebounds.
Shawndale Jones added 13 points and
Ethan Porterfield notched 11 points (5-7 FG), five rebounds and four assists. It marked the 22nd consecutive regular season victory for the Hawks, dating back to 2021-22. IUP had nine players find their way into the scoring column, shooting 54.2% as a team.
IUP assisted on 20 of 32 made baskets and tallied nine steals and four blocks. Jahme Estes paced Millersville with eight points on the night.
IUP used several scoring runs to build its advantage, also forcing 13 turnovers while shooting 50% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. Millersville opened the game with a triple before IUP reeled off the next seven points with baskets from three different scorers, including a three-pointer from
Kyle Polce. IUP sported its tough defense in a low-scoring first half, holding Millersville scoreless for over six minutes following the opening bucket.
Morris finished inside with the finger roll, absorbing contact for a 9-3 advantage. Millersville closed out its scoreless stretch by beating the shot clock, later chipping the deficit to 9-7 with just under 12 minutes left in the opening half. Jones found Porterfield for an up and under basket before Morris rattled home a three, pushing IUP ahead 16-7 off a feed from
Jaheim Bethea.
Polce, part of the IUP starting lineup, lined up his second triple of the half and jumpstarted an 8-0 run for a 24-11 advantage.
Damir Brooks, who finished with eight points, dropped in his first bucket of the contest and finished off a nifty feed from Morris for a 28-15 lead. Jones connected on a line-drive triple, the fifth of the half for IUP, which continued building the lead for the Hawks.
Both sides went cold as IUP held onto its 18-point lead with under one minute to play in the half.
Tomiwa Sulaiman finished the stickback, closing out the half for IUP with momentum. Overall, eight different IUP players found the scoresheet in the first half.
Jones ended a dry spell at the foul line with a pair of free throws early in the second half, pushing the IUP advantage to 20 points. Off a potential fastbreak, Sulaiman raced back for an emphatic block with about 18 minutes remaining in the second half. Off a miss, the Hawks countered back quickly with a triple for Morris, becoming the first player in double figures for either side and making it 46-21.
Porterfield lined up a three for a commanding 26-point lead at 49-23. A few minutes later, Morris converted an athletic driving layup for a 30-point lead as IUP took complete control. Day Waters knocked down a triple as the Marauders looked to cut into IUP's 57-32 lead, but it was short lived as the Crimson Hawks nailed a three of its own from Morris in response.
KJ Rhodes knocked down his second bucket of the afternoon, part of another strong stretch for IUP, which led 68-36.
Callum MacNamara dropped in consecutive buckets at 2:36 and 2:00 for a 74-43 advantage.
MacNamara closed out the scoring, capping a strong effort off the bench with six points in three minutes. Despite the excellent effort, IUP struggled at the foul line on the night, going just 4-of-12 from the charity stripe.
Jaylen Stewart made his season debut for the Hakws, playing 12 minutes off the bench.
Up Next
IUP returns home for the start of PSAC West play, hosting Seton Hill at the KCAC on Wednesday, January 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
