INDIANA, Pa. – The fourth-ranked IUP men's basketball program secured its 11th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West regular season title in the past 12 years following a 78-56 victory over Edinboro on Wednesday night at the KCAC.
 
IUP (25-1, 19-1) placed four scorers in double figures, needing a boost from Ethan Porterfield into the second half to get over the top. Edinboro (5-19, 3-15) got back to within two in the second half and used a game-high 19 points from Naim Miller.
 
The Hawks used a decisive 23-8 run to pull ahead for good, getting a team-high 18 points and five assists for Shawndale Jones. Tomiwa Sulaiman posted 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while Damir Brooks and Dave Morris added 13 points each. KJ Rhodes and Porterfield also came up with timely plays in the contest, which was victorious in the 500th career game for head coach Joe Lombardi.
 
IUP used a 13-0 spurt, turning a one-point deficit into a 12-point advantage with just under 13 minutes showing in the opening half. After Edinboro sliced the lead to single digits, the Hawks scored five of the final seven points in the first half for a 37-26 edge.

The scrappy Fighting Scots hung around into the second half, slicing the deficit to two at 47-45 after chipping away with efficient shooting. The Hawks converted five triples from beyond the arc and eventually ran away with the victory, the team's home winning streak to 28 consecutive games. 

Suliaman stretched the IUP lead to 10 at the foul line before Rhodes widened the margin to 12 points with consecutive layups at 6:27 and 5:54. Jaylen Stewart notched the final two buckets of the game, each providing the Hawks with their largest leads of the game at 20 and 22 points. 

The Hawks won the rebounding battle by seven and pulled down several key offensive boards during stretches of cold shooting. Morris grabbed three steals on the night, part of nine total for IUP. 

The Hawks have won 27 of the last 29 meetings against Edinboro, which is eliminated from postseason contention this year. 

Up Next 
IUP finishes out the regular season home slate against Slippery Rock on Saturday, February 18 at 3:00 p.m. for Senior Day and Alumni Day. 

Follow 
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
 

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