CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Thiel College men's basketball squad opened its 2010-2011 season with a 76-59 loss to Indiana University of Pa. Monday evening at Memorial Field House in Indiana.

Sophomore guard Anthony Harvey (New Castle, Pa., New Castle) paced the Tomcats (0-1) offensively with 16 points and four assists. Sophomore forward Aundra Jones (Youngstown, Ohio, Kennedy Catholic) tossed in 13 points and eight rebounds while sophomore forward Ladell Trotty (Cleveland, Ohio, Lutheran East) added 13 points and six rebounds.

Darryl Webb led four Crimson Hawks in double figures, finishing with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Ashton Smith added 13 points and four assists while Willi Estrella and Julian Sanders each chipped in with 12.

A Trotty layup with 14:10 to play in the first half tied the game at 10-10, but IUP outscored the Tomcats 17-6 over the next 6:11 to jump out to a 27-16 advantage on a Sanders three-pointer. IUP went into the half with a 35-24 lead.

Trotty's score with 17:30 remaining in the second cut the IUP lead to 13, 42-29, but a 12-4 Crimson Hawk run covering the next 5:24 pushed their lead to 21, 54-33. IUP saw its lead extend out to as many as 25 (70-45) before registering the 17-point victory.

The Crimson Hawks shot 45 percent (31-69) from the field and finished with a 44-36 advantage on the glass. The Tomcats were 22-of-60 (37%) from the floor and were forced into 21 turnovers on the night. 

IUP, which reached the NCAA Division II national championship game last season, entered the 2010-2011 campaign as a consensus top 10 team, including a number two ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll.

The Tomcats return to action on Friday, Nov. 19 at the La Roche College Tournament. The Tomcats will take on the host Redhawks in Friday's nightcap (8 p.m.).