INDIANA, PA – The 21st-ranked Crimson Hawks outscored Seton Hill by 13 in the second half, pulling away down the stretch to defeat the Griffins 72-54 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) men's basketball action on Saturday night.
Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the second half alone as IUP shot 55 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes to pull away.
Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) was again a force off the bench, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in just 18 minutes.
The Crimson Hawks led by just five at halftime, as poor three-point shooting and turnovers kept IUP from getting in any kind of offensive groove. Seton Hill grabbed an early lead and held a 15-11 advantage over the Crimson Hawks midway through the first half.
IUP then picked up buckets on three straight offensive possessions by
Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter), Norfleet, and
Daddy Ugbede (San Mateo, Calif./Serra) to take a 17-15 lead a few minutes later. The Crimson Hawks then scored the final five points of the half, including a layup by
Cornell Yarde II (Reading, Pa. /Schuylkill Valley) - off a long bounce pass from Chance - as time expired, giving IUP a 29-24 lead heading into the locker room.
The Griffins came back to take a 30-29 lead early in the second half before IUP rattled off 18 straight points over a 4:36 span to break the game wide open. The run was started by a pair of free throws from
Shawn Dyer (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) as five different Crimson Hawks contributed to IUP's breakout. Dyer and
Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School) each hit three-pointers while Norfleet, Ugbede and Hanner all added buckets.
Seton Hill cut its deficit back down to 13 but a 15-2 run by the Crimson Hawks was the final nail in the coffin, as IUP cruised down the stretch for the 18-point victory.
The Crimson Hawks ended up shooting 49 percent for the game and outrebounded Seton Hill 42-25, with 15 of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.
Norfleet added seven rebounds and five assists to his point total, doing his damage in 31 minutes. Ugbede also scored in double-figures, finishing with 12 points and adding six rebounds. Chance had seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.
David Windsor led Seton Hill with 15 points in 40 minutes.
The Crimson Hawks improved to 18-3 with the win and moved into second place in the PSAC West with a 12-3 conference mark.
The final stretch of the regular season continues next Wednesday, as they host rival Cal at the KCAC. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.