Box Score LANGHORNE, Pa.- Looking to bounce back from their first Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) of the season to Keystone on Tuesday night, the Immaculata men's basketball team travelled to Cairn hoping to get back in the win column, but a missed three pointer off the hands of junior
Rodney Duncan with six seconds left allowed the Highlanders (1-12, 1-6 CSAC) to take the low-scoring conference matchup, 57-54. The loss dropped Immaculata (7-7, 5-2 CSAC) into a tie for first place with Rosemont and Cabrini.
The Mighty Macs shot just 34% from the field (15-for-44) with seven of their field goals coming from beyond the arc. They were 17-for-23 from the free throw line.
Senior
Mamadou Diakite tied his own single game school record with 16 rebounds to go along with 11 points for his fourth straight game with a double-double, and sixth in his last seven. Sophomore
Matt Simon led the Mighty Macs in scoring with 15 points, on 5-for-10 shooting from the three point line. Junior
Ron Melton chipped in with 12 points and eight boards on 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw stripe.
The game was played tight the entire night as neither team held more than a five-point lead. Immaculata led by five at two different points in the first half by scores of 18-13, on free throws by Diakite midway through the stanza, and 20-15 on free throws by Duncan with eight minutes to go, but Cairn battled back to take the lead, 23-22, with 4:57 to go until halftime.
The Highlanders would stretch that lead out to five before taking a 31-29 lead to the locker room after a Simon three cut the deficit.
In the second half, Cairn would hold their lead for several minutes before another Simon three ball at the 12:25 mark put IU back in front, 42-40. A lay-up by freshman
Will Chapman put Immaculata up 47-42 with 8:30 to go, but Cairn went on a 7-2 spurt to tie the game at 49-49 with five minutes remaining.
The Highlanders would grab the lead from there and attempt to hold on. They had their lead up to four at 55-51 with 2:39 to go before Diakite went 1-for-2 at the line to make it a three point game. The Immaculata defense held which gave the Mighty Macs a chance to creep closer, and they did just that on an offensive rebound put back by Diakite with 47 seconds left which made it 55-54.
Immaculata needed another defensive stop, and they got it, but Duncan's three-ball was off the mark and Cairn moved their lead to three with one second left, and the Mighty Macs never got another shot off.
IU will have the weekend off before returning home where they are unbeaten this season as they host Centenary at 6:30 p.m.
