INDIANA, Pa. – Top-ranked IUP men's basketball pulled away in the second half to remain unbeaten with an 87-70 victory against a scrappy California (Pa.) side on Saturday afternoon at the KCAC.
IUP (17-0, 11-0) continued its regular season and home winning streak, outscoring California (Pa.) (7-10) by a 46-33 margin in the second half. The game featured its fair share of intensity with five combined technical fouls administered. Ultimately, IUP recorded its 19th straight victory in the head-to-head with series with the Vulcans.
The Hawks once again asserted themselves defensively as the game progressed, holding Cal U to 33.3% shooting in the second half. After the Vulcans canned seven three-point baskets in the first half, IUP limited the visitors to just three triples over the final 20 minutes.
Shawndale Jones poured in a season-high 31 points (9-20 FG) with six rebounds and four assists in the victory. It marked Jones first 30-point effort of the season, helping the Hawks push their regular season winning streak to 28 straight.
Tomiwa Sulaiman provided a huge spark with a double-double, logging 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal in 25 minutes.
Ethan Porterfield added 15 points and seven rebounds. The duo helped IUP to a big advantage inside with a 34-14 edge in paint points.
Cam Polak dropped in 21 points for Cal U, while Donald Whitehead, Jr. added 18 points off the bench. Jermain Hall, Jr. posted 16 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes of action.
The Hawks put the throttle on around the midway point of the second half, increasing its lead to double figures and not looking back. IUP reeled off a timely 14-5 run to surge ahead by 15 at 69-54 at the 8:28 mark. IUP notched its 24th consecutive home winning streak, matching their streak that spanned into 2021.
In a first half that mimicked the intensity level of an NCAA Tournament matchup, IUP took a 41-37 lead into the locker room after shooting 51.7% from the floor. The Vulcans were limited to just 38.5% from the field, but drained seven three-point baskets in the first half.
Polak III made it a 6-4 game at 18:17 before the Hawks countered with eight consecutive points to move back in front. Jones and Sulaiman lined up triples, the first off an offensive rebound and the second on the fastbreak off a turnover, to propel the Hawks ahead 25-21 at the 8:29 mark.
At 5:51 of the first half, a series of technical fouls were assessed to
Jaylen Stewart and head coach
Joe Lombardi, which handed Polak four foul shots. He converted three of those, trimming the Cal deficit to three at 29-26.
Jones stretched IUP's lead to its largest of the half at eight with a triple at 5:07 before the Vulcans got to within three. Hall Jr. rounded out the scoring at 1:14, slicing the Cal halftime deficit to 41-37. Jones racked up 18 points in the opening half on 6-of-12 shooting, while Sulaiman and Porterfield added seven apiece.
The IUP advantage hovered around single digits for around eight minutes of the second half before IUP started to pull away with smothering defense.
Dallis Dillard was active across the board, notching seven points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Dave Morris provided some timely offense from beyond the arc with triples at 2:37 and 1:10 of the second half that pushed momentum back in favor of the hosts. The Hawks closed the game with the final six points to continue their winning ways.
Up Next
IUP returns to action on Monday, January 23 at Edinboro for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
