Men's Basketball

IUP Wins Fourth Straight Title at 2023 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament

On their way to fourth-straight conference title, the Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawks defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers, 54-53, in the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament Final on Sunday from Heiges Field House in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

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SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. ---- On the way to their fourth-straight conference title, the Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawks defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers, 54-53, in the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament Final on Sunday from Heiges Field House in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
 
IUP came out with a strong start in the first period on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they went 12-of-20 from the field overall and posted 20 of their 30 points from in the paint. On defense, they held a struggling Lakers offense to just 32.1 percent (9-of-28) shooting heading into the break.
 
Up 30-23 coming into the second half, IUP were challenged by multiple scoring runs from Mercyhurst but never gave up a lead change. Sparked by three three-pointers from Nick Lang, the Lakers brought the score within a single possession on multiple occasions, but IUP’s 20-to-9 advantage on the boards (including seven off the offensive glass) in the second period kept Mercyhurst at bay.
 
Ethan Porterfield was once again the anchor for IUP, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 in the first half and finishing the night with an efficient 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting. For his play throughout the postseason, Porterfield was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the PSAC Championship Tournament for the second year in a row after also winning the honor last season.
 
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Outside of Porterfield, PSAC West Athlete of the Year Shawndale Jones and Dave Morris each contributed 12 points for the Crimson Hawks, while Tomiwa Sulaiman posted a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.
 
For Mercyhurst, Nick Lang highlighted the scoring by producing a team-high of 16 points behind 4-of-6 shooting beyond the arc. Michael Bradley and Jeff Planutis also reached double-figures to help the Laker offense.
 
IUP shot 49% (22-of-45) from the floor and 23% (3-of-13) from downtown on their way to the victory.
 
With today’s win, IUP receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament. The rest of the field will be announced Sunday at 11 p.m.