INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball team pulled away in the second half to secure a 72-57 victory over Shippensburg.
 
Kymani Merraro led the Hawks with an impressive performance, recording 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Christian Moore contributed 15 points, two rebounds, and a steal. 
 
Tyler Grove and Damir Brooks also made significant impacts, each scoring 14 points. Grove shot 5-for-10 from the field and added four rebounds, while Brooks went 4-for-6 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line, adding nine rebounds and two blocks.
 
IUP posted seven steals and four blocks. IUP hit 14 of 15 attempts from the free throw line. 
 
Brooks initiated the scoring with a jumper, followed by a steal from Merraro that set up Brooks for a fast-break basket. Moments later, Brooks got the bench on their feet with a dunk.
 
Back-to-back jumpers by Luke Triggs extended IUP's lead to 14 points early in the game. Shippensburg responded with some three-pointers, trimming the deficit to 16-8. 
 
Grove drained a deep three-pointer with eight minutes left in the first half, followed by a layup from Brooks and a three-pointer by Moore, pushing the Hawks ahead by 12. 
 
However, Shippensburg rallied with a 16-4 run to close the half, tying the score at 33.
 
The second half was tightly contested, with the teams exchanging leads and staying within five points of each other for the first 14 minutes. 
 
IUP eventually broke away thanks to a team effort, led by Merraro, who scored 13 of his 18 points in the final 12 minutes. Moore added consecutive layups and a free throw to help seal the victory.

Up Next
IUP will match up against nonconference opponent Lincoln Wednesday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the KCAC.
 
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For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.