Slump continues for IPFW men

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland Golden Grizzlies ran off a 20-2 run in the middle of the second half, turning a 51-50 IPFW lead into a 70-53 Grizzly advantage, and IPFW was never able to re-gain the lead in a 93-82 loss that saw Frank Gaines and Jonny Marlin each tie their career highs in points.

Gaines scored 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from long range, while pulling down six rebounds and dishing out four assists. Marlin went 3-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range en-route to his 13 points, while tying for the team-high with four assists. Trey McCorkle also reached double-figures for IPFW with 10 points while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Justin Jordan narrowly missed double-figure scoring with nine points, as Michael Kibiloski scored seven and Antwaun Boyd five. IPFW out-rebounded the Grizzlies 36-to-32, and the 'Dons made 45.2 percent (28-of-62) of their shots, and 10-of-24 from long range (41.7 percent), while making 80 percent (16-of-20) at the charity stripe.

The loss drops IPFW to 10-15 on the season and 4-11 in the league, while Oakland improves to 14-13 overall and 8-7 in conference action.

The Mastodons got on the scoreboard first with a Marlin three-pointer out of the gate, before Oakland proceeded to score the next six points, and not trail again until the second half. The Oakland first-half lead grew to as many as eight at 37-29 with 3:35 to play in the period, before IPFW closed the half on an 11-6 run, heading into the locker room trailing by just three at 43-40.

IPFW took its first lead since the early portions of the game with 16:39 to play when Gaines converted on the second of two free throws, giving the visitors a 46-45 lead with 16:39 to play. The lead grew to two after a Gaines three-pointer, and led by one at 51-50 before OU ran off the aforementioned 20-2 run.

Trailing by 17 after a pair of Drew Valentine free throws, the Mastodons mounted a comeback, using a 6-0 run to climb to within six at 81-75, and drew to within five after Gaines' fourth and final three-point basket, but the team could not get any closer, as Oakland made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

Reggie Hamilton, second in the country in scoring, put in a game-high 31 points while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out five assists. Drew Valentine scored 19, while Travis Bader added 18 off of the bench.

The 'Dons return to action on Wednesday, February 15 when IPFW hosts Oral Roberts University at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum in the team's final home game of the 2011-12 season. The game is also senior night, as the program will honor the team's four seniors, McCorkle, Boyd, John Peckinpaugh, and Jason Smeathers.