MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball program outscored the Marauders in the second half, although it was not enough to complete the comeback, falling to Millersville 76-68 at the Pucillo Gymnasium. 
 
Tyler Grove led IUP with 18 points, shooting an efficient 7-for-11 from the floor, while also contributing three rebounds and a steal. Damir Brooks followed closely with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Kymani Merraro provided 10 points, seven assists, and a team-high six steals. Christian Moore grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and Ian Herring chipped in 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
 
Millersville started strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead before Moore and Grove answered with back-to-back three-pointers, narrowing the score to 9-6. Merraro's jumper cut the gap, but Millersville extended their advantage to 10 points and eventually 19 points after sinking three three-pointers. IUP responded with a 12-2 run in the final eight minutes of the half, trimming the deficit to six points. However, Millersville closed the half strong, leading 43-32.
 
Grove added a jumper to begin the second half followed by a steal by Moore that was converted into a layup. Callum Macnamara added a layup at 10:35, and Brooks delivered a dunk at 5:56, the Hawks trailing 66-53. Grove's layup with under a minute left cut the deficit to eight, and IUP added another jumper at 0:37. However, Millersville sealed the victory with two free throws in the final moments.

Up Next 
IUP returns to play on Thursday, January 2 at the KCAC, hosting Thiel with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.

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