BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg men's basketball team held No. 3 nationally ranked Indiana (Pa.) to just 69 points during a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover game at home Saturday evening, but a stifling defensive performance by the Crimson Hawks allowed them to pull off a 69-49 victory to remain unbeaten. 
 
The Huskies' (0-5, 0-2 PSAC) defensive performance was its best of the season so far as the 69 points allowed was the lowest amount for a Bloomsburg opponent this year. IUP's 69 points was also its third-lowest scoring total this year. Different defenses, which included a 2-3 zone and 1-3-1 half-court trap, made it a half-court game and limited IUP (7-0, 2-0 PSAC) to a 42.2% shooting performance. Bloomsburg also forced IUP to cough the ball up 13 times, but the difference in the contest proved to be the Crimson Hawks' transition game.
 
IUP scored 16 fast-break points and another 19 on second-chance opportunities as the Crimson Hawks seemed to capitalize on nearly every Bloomsburg turnover. IUP scored 27 points off turnovers and the Huskies finished with 18 total turnovers. 
 
IUP's man-to-man defense and full-court zone press limited Bloomsburg to a 28.8% (17-58 FG) shooting performance. Jake Nelson (West Chester, Pa./West Chester Rustin) and Ash Kemble (Myerstown, Pa./Fork Union Military Academy) each had 10 points, and Nelson led all players with 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Kemble had eight rebounds and helped Bloomsburg haul in 39 rebounds. Louie Wild (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) had nine points and five rebounds to go along with two assists.
 
For the Crimson Hawks, Shawndale Jones led the team in scoring with 24 points and added seven rebounds. Ethan Porterfield was the only other IUP in double figures and had 15 points. Nine different players scored for IUP in the contest. 
 
Before IUP's transition game took over, Bloomsburg started off well and held an early 4-2 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the contest. IUP then responded with an 8-0 run to go up 10-4, and the Crimson Hawks would eventually extend their lead to double-digits with six minutes left in the first half. The game went on to be 35-23 at the half after Jones knocked down a pair of free throws with one second left in the half. 
 
Bloomsburg started off the second half on a high note and tried to seize the momentum with a Kemble dunk on their opening possession to make it a 10-point game, but IUP would go on to outscore the Huskies 17-3 over the course of the next eight minutes to make the score 52-28 with 12:16 remaining. The Crimson Hawks led by as much as 31 in the second half and put the game away by forcing turnovers and scoring on the other end. 
 
The Huskies will get back onto the court on Wednesday, Dec. 14, with a non-conference game at home against the University of Charleston (4-4, 3-1 MEC).