Box Score

LA PLUME, Pa.- The Immaculata men's basketball team got off to a red-hot start as they held Keystone (6-8, 3-4 CSAC) scoreless for the first 6:13 of the game while jumping out to a 13-0 lead, and never looked back on their way to an 80-67 victory.  The win for the Mighty Macs (6-9, 4-4 CSAC) is their second straight in CSAC play.
 
The Mighty Macs were paced by four double digit scorers, including junior Mamadou Diakite who notched his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds.  Overall, Immaculata outrebounded Keystone 55-30, which is tied for the second most rebounds in a game in school history and the most in 2013-14.
 
Junior Jose Ortiz scored 17 points for the second straight game while junior Barry Brockington chipped in with 12 points and 6 rebounds, and senior Brandon Smith had 11 points and 6 rebounds.
 
While Immaculata's suffocating defense early forced 10 straight misses and four turnovers to start the game, the Mighty Macs built up a double-digit lead that proved insurmountable.  Diakite scored six of the first seven points while Brockington added three.  Ortiz then knocked down a jumper and freshman reserve Matt Simon (9 points) hit a lay-up for two of the 31 points scored by the Immaculata bench.
 
The Giants would break the scoring drought and trim the deficit to as low as eight, but a 6-0 spurt fueled by Smith and Simon built the advantage up to 16 points at 29-13 with 6:46 left to go in the opening half.
 
Late in the first half leading 37-22 with two minutes to go, Immaculata went on another run, this one a 7-1 spurt, to build up their advantage to 44-23 right before the half.  Smith and Brockington hit lay-ups around a three-pointer by freshman Carl Garner.
 
Two free throws before the buzzer meant the Mighty Macs took a 44-25 lead to the locker room as they held Keystone to just five made field goals in the first twenty minutes.
 
In the second half, Immaculata did a great job of keeping Keystone at arms' length and not allowing them back in the game.  Midway through the final half, Immaculata was still holding an 18-point lead after a bucket by freshman Roy Ferrell Jr. (4 points).
 
Diakite was key in the second half as he scored 10 of his points.
 
Keystone got the deficit as small as eight at 75-67 with 2:07 to go, but the Mighty Macs knocked down five free throws over the next 1:20 to put the game away.
 
Immaculata has now positioned themselves in fifth place in the CSAC with the victory as they moved a half game in front of the Giants.
 
On Wednesday, the Mighty Macs will go for their first three-game winning streak of the year when they host Gwynedd Mercy at 8 p.m.