INDIANA, Pa – The IUP men's basketball program's 47-point first half pushed them to an 84-73 victory over Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday evening inside the KCAC.
The Crimson Hawks improved to 8-8 overall and 4-5 in the PSAC, while the Mountain Cats fell to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
Grove had a career night for himself after he scored a season-high of 22 points, and shot .750 from the field that included four three-pointers. Three other players were close in scoring,
Damir Brooks added 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds,
Kymani Merraro added 16 points, and
Christian Moore contributed 14 points. Both Merraro and Moore tallied six assists each.
Ian Herring led the Hawks with four blocks and two steals, along with seven rebounds.
IUP shot .561 from the field and went .500 beyond the arc. The Hawks were consistent at the free throw line too, they made 11-of-13 extra point attempts. Pitt-Johnstown shot .429 from the field and .353 beyond the arc.
IUP got out to a 10-0 lead, Brooks contributed six of those points that began with a dunk, he was assisted by Moore. The Hawks broke a three-minute scoring drought with jump shots from Grove and Herring. Grove's three-pointer at 9:55 extended the lead to double digits.
IUP proceeded on a run, scoring on seven straight possessions, that extended their lead to 39-21 with just under five minutes to go.Grove, Herring, and Merraro contributed with three-pointers during this run. Moore and
Alfonso Pickens Jr. capped off the half with triples of their own, sending IUP into the break with a 47-32 lead.
In the first half, Grove shot 7-for-9 from the field, while Brooks went 4-for-7.
In the second, Brooks and Moore began the scoring for the Hawks. UPJ went on a nine-point run that ended at 12:27 with a Brooks layup, that cut the Mountain Cats trail to 12 points. Grove's three-pointer at 11:50 put him at 22 points on the day. The Mountain Cats made a late push, cutting the lead to five points around the three-minute mark. Brook's dunk with 29 seconds left followed by two made free throws by Moore secured the Hawks 84-73 Wednesday night win.
Up Next
IUP wraps up their home stretch against Seton Hill on Saturday, January 18. Tipoff inside the KCAC is set for 3:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
