INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball team rang in the new year with a commanding 93-58 victory over the Thiel Tomcats at the KCAC this evening. The teams battled closely through the first half before the Hawks jumped to a large lead in the second. 
 
The Hawks shot an impressive 58.9% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Their second-half performance was even more remarkable, they shot 69.2% overall and 63.4% from three-pointers. The Hawks scored 21 points off of turnovers and the bench added 37 points. 

Kymani Merraro led the Hawks with 21 points, six assists, had a steal, and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He also connected on three three-pointers, shooting 6-for-9 overall. Damir Brooks and Ian Herring each added 13 points. Brooks grabbed seven rebounds and posted three blocks. Herring led the team with nine rebounds, four steals, and had two assists. 
 
Thiel started strong with an early 5-0 lead, but Alfonso Pickens Jr. got IUP on the board with a layup at 16:20. Moments later, Ian Herring's first steal of the night set up Damir Brooks for a dunk at 15:44. IUP gained the lead seven minutes in after Luke Triggs made a layup, Merraro assisted him. Moore stole the ball mid-pass and took the ball down the court for an easy layup that put the Hawks ahead at the 11:58 minute mark, 17-8. Herring marked his third steal of the night at 6:46 and took it for a layup. 

Late in the first half, Pickens and Grove knocked down back-to-back threes, helping IUP build their lead. As the first half came to a close, the Hawks surged to a 15-point advantage, but Thiel managed a small rally with a few late baskets. IUP entered the halftime leading 43-32.
 
Brooks set the tone early in the second half for the Hawks after he made a dunk 10 seconds in. Merraro put the Hawks ahead 25 points, their largest lead of the night, after a made three-pointer and two made free throws. 

Callum MacNamara entered the game at 6:32 and made an immediate impact, he scored a hard-fought layup at 6:06 and followed up with two consecutive layups. In the final minutes, Anthony Watson and Sebastian Campbell took the court. Both players delivered back-to-back three-pointers from the left corner, sealing the Hawks' well-earned victory over the Tomcats.

Up Next 
IUP returns to play on Monday, January 6 at Edinboro, tipoff 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.