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IUP cut a 17-point second half deficit all the way down to five on several occasions in the final 1:10 but could not complete the comeback in a 73-68 loss at Slippery Rock in a PSAC West game on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Crimson Hawks to 12-12 overall and 4-5 in the PSAC West and a fourth place tie with the Rock (7-17, 4-5) in the battle for the final playoff spot in the division. IUP had been over the .500 mark since a win over Mercyhurst in the season’s third game. Gerald Brooks led IUP with 20 points followed by Sean Christiansen with 17 and the two combined for 15 of IUP’s 25 field goals. Brooks also had a game-high eight rebounds and Christiansen dished out four assists. Matt Schaefer made five 3-pointers and led Slippery Rock with 16 points. Darnell Johnson added 15 points, Jamar Scales scored 12 and Joseph Vines finished with 11. Scale and Vines both had four assists. Slippery Rock scored the game’s first 11 points and went on to lead by as many as 14 in the opening half before going to the locker room with a 40-30 lead. A strong start at the outset of the second half had The Rock in front 49-32 with 16:15 left in the game. IUP began chipping away at its deficit, scoring 10 straight points on baskets with Christiansen starting and ending the run with driving layups that made it 49-42 with 11:33 left. Slippery Rock did not get the Crimson Hawks get any closer over the next 10 minutes, and rebuilt its advantage to 12 at 62-50 on a basket by Vines at the 4:54 mark. IUP still trailed by 10 at 64-54 with 2:03 to play before a 3-pointer by Justin Gartner and a basket by Christiansen off a Gartner offensive rebound made it 64-59 with 1:10 to play. Three free throws by Slippery Rock was offset by a 3-pointer by Jordan Shaw, but IUP was still behind 67-62 with just 30 seconds left. The Rock made all six of its free throw attempts from that point on to deny the Crimson Hawks any chance to come all the way back. IUP returns home to face California on Saturday at 7:30. The Crimson Hawks can take a huge step towards earning a PSAC playoff spot by earning a season split with the Vulcans.
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