EDINBORO, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball team struggled to find its rhythm early and, despite a strong second-half push, fell to Edinboro 81-65 in this afternoon's PSAC West opener.

With the loss, IUP dropped to 7-7 overall and 3-4 in the PSAC, while Edinboro improved to 7-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference standings.

The Hawks faced difficulties in the first half, as they shot just .296 from the field and collected only nine rebounds compared to Edinboro's 24. In the second half, IUP improved its shooting to .593 from the field and 88.9% from the free-throw line. Hawks scored just 22 points in the first and then 43 in the second, compared to Edinboro's 37 in the first and 44 in the second. 

Christian Moore led IUP with 20 points, five assists, and two steals. The Hawks tallied 13 total steals, with Tyler Grove contributing five and Ian Herring adding four. Damir Brooks added 17 points, six rebounds, three blocks, and a steal.

Edinboro jumped out to a 5-0 lead and later increased it to 16-6 before IUP got some points on the board. A jumper and free throw from Kymani Merraro cut the deficit to seven at the 12-minute mark. Moore hit back-to-back three-pointers, and a steal by Herring set up a Brooks layup.

However, the Fighting Scots built a 17-point lead with under three minutes remaining in the half. Brooks and Grove helped close the half on a high note with a layup, two free throws, a block, and a steal, narrowing the gap slightly.

The second half began with a 10-1 Edinboro run, extending their lead to 24. A dunk by Brooks at the 17:22 mark, assisted by Moore, sparked an IUP 12-0 run, cutting the deficit to 12. Grove's dunk at 9:34 kept the momentum going while Moore answered an Edinboro three-pointer with one of his own to keep the margin at 12 points.

Despite another 17-point Edinboro lead late in the game, IUP fought back with four consecutive free throws from Brooks and Moore. Sarp Furton drained a three-pointer at 3:11, followed by a jumper from Moore. Grove capped the scoring with a late three-pointer to finish with 12 points.

Up Next 
IUP returns to the KCAC on Wednesday, January 6 against Gannon, tipoff is 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.