Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- Following a loss at Centenary that evened their Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) record at 2-2, the Mighty Macs (4-8, 3-2 CSAC) bounced back with a 70-63 victory over visiting Cairn (5-6, 2-3 CSAC) at Alumnae Hall on Thursday night.
 
IU was led by a balanced attack with five players reaching at least nine points.  Junior Matt Simon came back to the lineup after missing the last three weeks due to injury with 16 points, while senior Ron Melton had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.  Junior Roy Ferrell Jr. chipped in with 11 points and four rebounds, and senior Rodney Duncan had 10 points and four boards.  Junior Michael Griffin III had nine points off the bench.
 
IU was stout defensively, holding Cairn to 36.7% (22-for-60) shooting from the field while forcing 20 turnovers out of the Highlanders.  The Macs turned it over just 13 times and went to the free throw line 29 times.
 
It was the Highlanders racing out to the quick lead at 6-2 with a pair of three-pointers, but the Macs turned up the defense and went on an 11-2 run that put them in front 13-8 with nine minutes to go before halftime.  Ferrell Jr. hit a jumper and Griffin III put IU in front with a three pointer with 14 minutes to go before half.  The Highlanders would hit a pair of free throws to go back up 8-7, but it was their final lead of the night.
 
Griffin III hit a tough lay-up, and he scored two more on fast break to grow the advantage.  A Duncan lay-up concluded the run with IU up 13-8.  Following a Cairn basket, freshman Mike Piekarski (5 points, 6 rebounds) and Simon scored on back-to-back possessions to get the lead up to seven at 17-10.
 
Before halftime, IU got the lead up to 10 points on three separate occasions, but a Cairn three in the final minute sent the teams to the locker room with the Macs leading 34-27.
 
IU would keep the Highlanders at arms' length to start the stanza before a triple by Simon at the 16:20 mark made it an 11-point game at 43-32.  The lead would stay between six to ten points for a majority of the half, as the Mighty Macs had a response every time Cairn attempted to cut into the lead.
 
Simon's three-pointer at the 2:10 mark seemed to be the dagger as it put the Macs up 61-51.  The Highlanders finally shrunk the lead down to as little as four, but Immaculata iced it away with their final nine points coming from the free throw line.
 
The Macs will look to make it two home wins in a row on Saturday when they host Marywood at 3 p.m.