INDIANA, Pa. – Fourth-ranked IUP men's basketball took control down the stretch, pulling away for a 73-60 Senior Day win against Slippery Rock on Saturday.
 
IUP (26-1, 20-1) extended its winning streak against Slippery Rock (15-11, 9-11) to 32 consecutive games in Indiana, doing so in what is believed to be the largest crowd in IUP history at 3,648. Shawndale Jones, who was recognized in a pregame ceremony along with Ousmane Diop and Dave Morris, was stellar with 24 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Jones surpassed 1,000 career points at IUP in the victory as IUP shot 49.1% for the game. Tied at 43 in the second half, IUP used a decisive 12-2 run to pull away for good. Around midway through the second half, IUP pulled ahead by double figures and never looked back.
 
Tomiwa Sulaiman collected another double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, shooting an efficient 6-for-8 from the field.
 
Slippery Rock was led by 13 points from Lashon Lindsey, while Khalid Gates posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. SRU shot just 36.2% for the game, climbing back in the second half with a 12-4 spurt to even the score at 43.
 
With efficient offense, IUP took a nine-point lead into the intermission against SRU. Shawndale Jones reached the 1,000-point plateau during his IUP tenure in the first half, logging a game-high 20 points, adding five assists over his initial 17 minutes of action.
 
The Hawks shot over 55% in the opening half, leading by double figures briefly before SRU narrowed the gap heading into the intermission.
 
Jones pushed the Hawks ahead by eight at 18-10 with a triple following a kickout feed from Sulaiman. Jones converted from long range one again at 8:47 of the opening half, handing IUP a 12-point edge. 

The Rock trimmed its first half deficit to four points on two occasions before IUP closed the stanza with a 5-0 spurt. SRU made a final push early in the second half before the Hawks asserted themselves. 

Tied at 43, Morris, Sulaiman, Jones and Damir Brooks combined to extend IUP's advantage. The fast-paced offense, coupled with stifling defense lifted IUP ahead 55-45 around the midway point fo the second half. 

Ethan Porterfield's triple pushed the IUP lead to 14 points before Jaylen Stewart scored consecutive baskets for a 16-point cushion at the 7:29 mark. The Rock did not threaten again as IUP secured its 29th straight home victory. 

Up Next 
IUP visits Cal U (Pa.) for the regular season finale on Saturday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. 

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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