Indiana, Pa. – Dante Lombardi scored 13 points in the second half to lead third-ranked Indiana University of Pennsylvania to a 60-48 win over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team on Saturday evening on the second day of the IUP Thanksgiving Classic at the Kovalchick Complex.

Junior forward Kobi Nwandu (York, Pa./Northeastern York/East Stroudsburg) led the Dolphins offensively in the loss with 20 points, including 11 in the first half, while adding four assists and three steals. Junior forward Tom Brown (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) also recorded 11 first-half points, while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Lombardi finished the contest with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Malik Miller tallied 14 points, while Willem Brandwijk totaled 13 points and eight rebounds. Jacobo Diaz recorded a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

After the teams exchanged the lead four times in the opening four minutes of the game, the Dolphins put together a 10-2 run to take an 18-11 lead with 10:20 to go. Redshirt junior guard Malik Garner (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow/Sunrise Christian Academy/Saginaw Valley State) scored the first two points from the foul line before Brown scored eight straight points over 1:36 around a lay-up by Marko Krivacevic.

The Crimson Hawks responded with a 7-2 spurt to trim their deficit to two with 7:22 left. Diaz had a dunk, Greg Bearer made a three-pointer and then Krivacevic converted a lay-up.

Le Moyne answered with three-pointers from junior guard Ryan Roland (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Mercyhurst) and Nwandu to take its largest lead of the game, 26-18, with 6:39 left.

IUP scored five of the last nine points of the half to pull within 30-23 at halftime.

After each team scored on its first possession of the second half, the Crimson Hawks rattled off 11 straight points to take control of the game. Brandwijk and Miller made lay-ups, Brandwijk had a dunk and three free throws for the lead and then Miller made a lay-up for a 36-33 advantage with 14:07 to play.

Following a conventional three-point play by Nwandu to even the score at 36 with 13:20 remaining, Diaz and Lombardi hit three-pointers 1:17 apart to give IUP a 42-36 lead with 11:16 left.

Le Moyne answered with six of the next eight points to get within two with 5:34 left, but could not get any closer.

The Crimson Hawks countered with a 14-4 run to take their largest lead of the game. Diaz had a dunk and Miller made a jumper for a 48-42 lead. Following four free throws by Nwandu around a three-pointer by Lombardi, Lombardi hit another three-pointer, Miller made a jumper and then Brandwijk converted two foul shots.

Each team made two foul shots in the final 1:36 to close out the game.
 
Le Moyne (4-2) returns to Northeast-10 Conference action on Wednesday at The College of Saint Rose at 7:30 p.m.