PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – The IU Southeast men's basketball team used a 24-6 second-half run to defeat East No. 1 seed Shawnee State 82-70 and advance to the RSC Championship.
 
Nathaniel Hoffman had 22 points to lead IU Southeast on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Trent Hinkle had 17 points and six rebounds and Jaden Johnson had 13 points and six rebounds in the win.
 
A three-pointer by Nathaniel Hoffman gave IU Southeast a 13-7 lead seven minutes into the game. The Bears came back to take a 28-18 lead with 5:42 left in the half.
 
The Grenadiers closed the half on a 12-2 run to tie the game. Cole Thomas had half of the points during that stretch to spark the offense.
 
Shawnee State scored with five seconds left in the half to take a 38-36 lead at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Grenadiers opened the period on a 24-6 run. They held the Bears to just one made field goal during this stretch.
 
IU Southeast shot 46 percent from the field in the second half and held Shawnee State to 33 percent shooting and just 1-of-6 from three-point range while forcing 10 turnovers.
 
Ethan Haddaway sparked the run by scoring a layup to tie the game. After a Camden Pfeister three pointer, Haddaway completed a three-point play to extend the lead to seven.
 
Nathaniel Hoffman and Jaden Johnson hit back-to-back three-pointers to give IU Southeast a 57-43 lead.
 
Then the Grenadiers put the game away at the free-throw line by hitting 17-of-20 free throws in the second half.
 
IU Southeast will travel to IU Kokomo on Tuesday to face the Cougars for the conference tournament championship at 7 p.m.