CLARION, Pa. — The Indiana University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team erased an early deficit and pulled away late to earn a 73-68 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West road victory over Clarion on Saturday afternoon at Tippin Gymnasium.

IUP (13-3, 8-2 PSAC) fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half but regrouped and controlled play after the break, outscoring the Golden Eagles 44-28 in the second half to secure the comeback win.

Christian Moore paced the Crimson Hawks with 18 points, knocking down three 3-pointers and adding five steals. Kymani Merraro followed with 16 points and seven assists, while Dallis Dillard contributed 14 points and six rebounds as IUP leaned on balanced scoring to flip the momentum.

The Crimson Hawks shot 50% from the field and finished 9-for-22 from beyond the arc. IUP also capitalized on Clarion miscues, scoring 25 points off turnovers, and added 11 fast-break points to fuel the rally.

Clarion (10-9, 5-6 PSAC) was led by Jeremy Thomas II, who scored 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Gavin Cote added 13 points, and Trey Nelson finished with 11 points and six assists, but the Golden Eagles were unable to match IUP's efficiency in the second half.

Clarion built its early advantage behind strong shooting in the opening period, but IUP chipped away before halftime and seized control early in the second half with a run sparked by defensive stops and timely perimeter shooting.

With the victory, the Crimson Hawks remained near the top of the PSAC West standings and continued their strong conference play, while Clarion slipped to .500 in league action.