MBB: IPFW Beats Rochester 73-56

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - IPFW held the Rochester Warriors to 26 first half points, and 56 for the game, as the Mastodons pulled away for a 73-56 win in the opening game of the EMU "Ice Man" Classic.

Frank Gaines scored a game-high 24 points, while Mario Hines scored 17 and Luis Jacobo 15. Pierre Bland pulled down nine rebounds, as the Mastodons out-rebounded the Warriors 44-to-25.

The Mastodons (1-1) never trailed in the game, as they scored 13 seconds into the contest, and didn't look back. The Warriors drew within four just six and a half minutes into the contest, before the 'Dons scored eight straight, two points each from Hines, Gaines, Kevin Harden , and Isaiah McCray .

Rochester (7-2) climbed to within single digits five times in the second half, the last at 32-23 with 3:37 to play, before IPFW closed the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 42-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Mastodons quickly increased the lead to 18 in the second half, before the feisty Rochester squad fought back, using an 18-5 run to climb to within as few as five with 9:15 to play in the game.

IPFW answered right back with six straight points on four Gaines free throws and a Hines dunk, and the Warriors wouldn't threaten again, as the 'Dons closed the game with a 17-point, 73-56 non-conference win.

McCray dished out a game-high four assists, while he and Bland had two steals. Hines blocked two shots, while picking up seven rebounds, to go with eight Jacobo boards.

The Mastodons hit 24-of-51 shots in the game (47.1 percent), while converting on 4-of-11 long range shots (36.4), and 77.8 percent (21-of-27) of their charity stripe attempts.

Dramell Hogan and Drew Maynard had 18 and 16 points, each, for Rochester.

The Mastodons return to action on Friday, when the squad faces off against Texas-Pan American in another game of the EMU "Ice Man" Classic with a 4:30 p.m. tip-off in Ypsilanti, Mich.