Box Score Indiana, Pa. - Millersville men's basketball faced a stiff challenge Saturday--playing at No. 21-ranked Indiana (Pa.) just 24 hours removed from a grueling road win at California (Pa.). The Marauders trailed by as many as 18 in the first half but roared from behind to take a second half lead. The stirring comeback, however, came up just short in its final possession, and the Crimson Hawks escaped, 58-55.

Millersville (10-5, 6-3 PSAC) and Indiana (11-2, 7-2 PSAC) entered as two of the top three defensive teams in the PSAC, and those rankings proved accurate. The Marauders were limited to just 20 first half points and even trailed 31-13 before scoring the Anthony Coleman scored the final seven points of the half. Eight 3-pointers, including 5-of-5 shooting from Coleman, helped Marauders closed the gap, and it put them in position to pull off the upset.

Trailing 56-52, Larry Grant hit his only 3-pointer of the game to pull the Marauders within one with 18 ticks left. The Marauders were forced to foul, and Anthony Wells buried both foul shots to give his team a 3-point lead. Millersville received two chances at the game-tying basket. Brandon Belt's first attempt bounced away and was corralled by Elijah Obade, who kicked it to Grant. Grant hoisted a deep three with just a second left, but it rimmed out at the buzzer.

Coleman's season-high 23 points came on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor, but he also committed 11 of his team's 21 turnovers. Grant added 14. IUP was led by 16 points from Scooter Renkin.

Renkin was especially clutch late, scoring eight points in the final three minutes when Millersville was nipping at his team's heels. From the 3:49 mark of the first half to the 4:05 mark of the second, Millersville outscored IUP 33-17. The Marauders trailed by 15 with 13:40 to play, but Grant hit for two and Coleman drilled a three on back-to-back possessions to start a 19-2 run that was capped when Obade put back a miss to tie the game at 46-46 with 5:12 to go.

IUP immediately answered with a layup, but Nate Bollinger gave Millersville its first lead by hitting a three. That's when Renkin took over for IUP. Renkin banked in a corner three to give IUP a 51-49 edge. Coleman returned the favor by banking in his own triple to put Millersville back on top. 27 seconds later, Renkin scored on a driving layup, giving IUP a lead it would not surrender. Renkin hit a free throw, and his slashing layup with two Marauders contesting with 48 seconds left pushed his team in front by two possessions and was just enough to halt the charging Marauders.

Four of Millersville's five losses have come by 10 or fewer points, and its three PSAC losses have come against teams with a combined 33-8 record. Only games against PSAC Eastern Division opponents remain on the slate for Millersville. Through the Western Division swing, the Marauders stand third in the PSAC East, two games by East Stroudsburg.

Millersville returns to Pucillo Gymnasium, where it is 7-2 this season, to host rival Cheyney on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Tip is 8 p.m.