Two PSAC teams advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division-II men’s basketball tournament on Saturday.
IUP, the third seed in the eight-team region, defeated the sixth seeded Glenville State Pioneers 73-53. Devante Chance led the Crimson Hawks with 22 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field. The senior guard also had five assists and three steals. 6-foot-6 forward Jeremy Jeffers proved a matchup problem for the Pioneers, as he was 4-of-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc.
Seventh-seeded Slippery Rock upset Gannon 65-57, in an all-PSAC matchup. Slippery Rock stopped an eight-game winning streak for Gannon, who won the PSAC tournament. Senior forward Frank Holloway led Slippery Rock with 17 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field. Junior guard Jamal Gatali added 12 points, including four three-pointers.
For Gannon, Adam Blazek shot 6-of-13 for 13 points and Jean-Yves Toupane had 10 points and five rebounds.
The other PSAC team in the tournament, Mercyhurst, lost 68-63 to Fairmont State. Damon Jones shot 4-of-9, scored 11 points and added two assists in a losing effort for the Lakers.
Slippery Rock and IUP will face each other in the second round tonight at 5:00 p.m. The other second round matchup will feature Fairmont State against hosts West Liberty University in Wheeling, WV at 7:30 p.m.
Photo credit: IUP Athletics
