On Jan. 29, both the Men’s and the Women’s basketball teams hosted IUP at the Convocation Center for a Wednesday night doubleheader. Both teams won well-needed PSAC victories, but the stories for the games were very different. The Men’s team closed out a tough and back-and-forth game against the Crimson Hawks 78-74, while the women’s team erupted to a dominant 77-63 win over a favored IUP Women’s team.

For the Men’s team (11-10, 6-7), the game against the Crimson Hawks (10-10, 6-7) was very close. In the first half alone, there were 13 ties, and the game was tied at half-time 39-39. The second half went more favorably for the Vulcans, as they clawed out a close victory with the help of their six blocks, which is a new season high for the Vulcans.

Redshirt Junior Cam Polak was the main star of the game, as he had a game-high 25 points, going 7/15 from the floor and 9/10 at the free-throw line. Not only was he scoring efficiently, but he also recorded a team-high eight rebounds and had two blocks as well. Freshman Jordyn Buchanan had a very efficient day, as he recorded 18 points on 7/8 shooting, with 4/5 coming from beyond the arc.

For the Women’s team (11-9, 7-6), the game against the Crimson Hawks (15-4, 10-3) was a game of runs. The Vulcans had a very strong first quarter, going into the first quarter break leading 26-17. They started the second quarter with a double-digit lead before the Crimson Hawks cut the deficit to a single possession. Fortunately, the Vulcans responded with runs of their own, going into halftime with an 8-point lead. The 2nd half was dominating for the Vulcans, as they led by 21 at one point. They closed out the game 77-63, winning another PSAC game against one of the top teams in the conference.

Senior Iyahnna Williams was all over the court, leading the team with 20 points, setting a season-high of 7 assists, recording 3 steals, and 3 rebounds in her 40 minutes. Fellow Senior Talia Gilliard also recorded 18 points in the game. The Women’s team recorded their second-best shooting of the year, going 28-54 at 51.9%.

Both teams will return for PSAC play at home for another doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 1 when the Vulcans host both Men’s and Women’s Gannon Basketball. The Men’s team is the division leader and the Women’s team is tied for second, so it will be a challenging day for the Vulcans.