IUP Men's Basketball Falls to Gannon 99-85

Crimson Hawks struggle to overcome first-half deficit despite strong offensive performances

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) men's basketball team suffered a 99-85 loss to Gannon University on Saturday night, despite strong offensive showings from Kymani Merraro, Dallis Dillard, and Christian Moore. IUP trailed 43-34 at halftime and was unable to overcome the deficit, despite scoring 51 points in the second half.

Why it matters

This loss drops IUP's overall record to 22-7 and comes after they previously fell to Gannon by the same score on March 7th. The Crimson Hawks, ranked No. 6 in the Atlantic Region, will now await the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament selection show on Sunday to learn their fate.

The details

Merraro led IUP with 22 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Dillard contributed 21 points with four 3-pointers, and Moore added 15 points. Gannon's victory was bolstered by their 36-for-45 performance at the free-throw line, as well as a 41-34 rebounding edge and 34 points off fast breaks. Lucas Morgan led Gannon with 19 points, followed by Pace Prosser and Precious Idiaru with 18 points each.

  • The game took place on Saturday night, March 7, 2026.
  • The NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament selection show will take place on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 11:00 p.m.

The players

Kymani Merraro

A key player for the IUP Crimson Hawks, leading the team with 22 points in the loss to Gannon.

Dallis Dillard

An important contributor for IUP, scoring 21 points with four 3-pointers in the game.

Christian Moore

Added 15 points to IUP's scoring effort in the loss.

Lucas Morgan

Led Gannon with 19 points in the victory.

Pace Prosser

Scored 18 points for Gannon in the win.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

IUP, ranked No. 6 in the Atlantic Region, will await the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament selection show on Sunday, March 8 at 11:00 p.m. to learn their fate.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges IUP faced in overcoming Gannon's strong free-throw shooting and rebounding advantage, despite the Crimson Hawks' solid offensive performance. As they await their NCAA tournament fate, IUP will need to regroup and address these areas of concern to make a deep postseason run.