 
 
 |
Jan. 27, 2010
Thomas Young scored 19 points, Akida McLain and Darryl Webb both had 15 and IUP committed a team-record low two turnovers in a 71-59 victory over California Wednesday at Memorial Field House to remain the only undefeated team in the PSAC West. IUP is 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the PSAC West and entered the game No. 9 in the country in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll as well as No. 1 in the first NCAA Atlantic Region rankings of the season. California dropped to 12-8 and 0-5 in the division. IUP is unbeaten through five conference games for the first time since the 1994-95 team started PSAC West play with an 8-0 mark. That season also marked the last time IUP won as many as 16 of its first 17 overall, starting the year 21-0 en route to a berth in the NCAA Final Four. The Crimson Hawks also stayed perfect at home this season at 9-0, extended its winning streak to 13 in a row at Memorial Field House dating back to last season and are 23-2 at home over the past seasons. IUP has won three in a row over the Vulcans. The Crimson Hawks committed only one turnover in each half and did not have a miscue until just 4:06 remained until halftime. The previous low for turnovers in a game was five versus Pace in 1983 and matched versus Edinboro in 2003. The previous low total for this season was 10 in a win over Clarion two weeks ago. With his 15 points, Webb moved past Paul Burnett and into 16th place in school history with 1,141 points. He also added a team-high eight rebounds to become the fifth IUP player with 700 in a career, finishing the night with a total of 702. Ashton Smith dished out six assists and Kevin Stewart had five for IUP. Jerial Nixon scored 24 points and Andrew Young had 21 to lead the Vulcans. No other California player had more than six points. IUP never trailed in the game and it was tied only at 2 in the opening minute. The Crimson Hawks then ripped off a 24-6 run, building a 26-8 lead on a steal and dunk by Webb with 6:22 left in the opening half. California was able to close to a 10-point deficit at halftime at 34-24 with Nixon hitting a 3-pointer and converting a 3-point play as part of an 8-2 burst to end the first 20 minutes. The Vulcans continued to chip away at the outset of the second half and made it a 36-30 game on a layup by Nixon. The teams traded baskets for most of the next three and a half minutes, with California making it 44-36 on a jumper by Chris Moore with 15:05 remaining. But consecutive 3-pointers by Young and McLain pushed the margin back up to 50-36, and IUP never led by fewer than 10 the rest of the way. IUP is back on the road at Slippery Rock on Saturday before returning to Memorial Field House to host Edinboro a week from tonight at 7:30. |
