Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- Junior Matt Simon had a record-setting day for the Mighty Macs (5-8, 4-2 CSAC) as he scored a career-high 27 points while knocking down a program-record nine three pointers to help lift the Macs over Marywood (4-9, 0-6 CSAC), 70-64, in Colonial States Athletic Conference action at Alumnae Hall on Saturday afternoon.  As a team, the Mighty Macs broke the team record for three-pointers made with 15, eclipsing the previous mark of 14 from a game earlier this season against Arcadia.
 
Simon was a blistering 9-for-11 from deep which contributed to a 15-for-35 performance for the team overall.  IU was 13-for-16 from the charity stripe and just 6-for-18 shooting two's as they did most of their heavy lifting from behind the arc.
 
Junior Roy Ferrell Jr. had 14 points (4-for-7 FG, 6-for-6 FT) and five boards, while senior Rodney Duncan reached double figures with 11 points and a team-high five assists.  Junior Michael Griffin III added nine points off the bench and senior Ron Melton had a team-high 12 rebounds.
 
The Mighty Macs fired out of the gates as Simon and Duncan hit three pointers on back-to-back possessions before junior Roy Ferrell Jr. took over with eight consecutive points to stake the Macs to a 14-0 lead.  Marywood finally got on the board at the 14:09 mark of the first half, but the Macs defense had held the Pacers to 0-for-6 shooting from the field and forced four turnovers in the opening 5:51.
 
The Macs made it a 20-4 start to the first half with triples from Simon and Griffin III to take a 16-point lead at the 13:08 mark, their biggest of the period.
 
Marywood would cut into the Mighty Mac lead with an 8-0 spurt over the next three minutes to make it 20-12 at the 10 minute mark.
 
Marywood trimmed the lead down to eight on six occasions over the final 10 minutes of the half, but the Macs responded every time with a basket.  With IU leading 35-27, Griffin III hit a three in the corner to put the lead in double digits, which is where it would remain going into the break.
 
Freshman Mike Piekarski (3 points, 5 rebounds) hit the ninth and final three of the first half for the Macs with 49 seconds left and IU led 43-32 at halftime.  Simon led the way with four of the nine three-pointers for 12 points at the break.
 
In the second half, the Mighty Macs struggled to get going against the zone defense of the Pacers, despite two early three-pointers.  Marywood finally worked their way back into the game with a 21-9 run over the opening 12 minutes of the second half to take a 53-52 lead, their first and only one of the day.
 
It was Simon who gave the lead right back to the Macs, but the Pacers responded with a bucket to tie the game at 55-55. 
 
Griffin III hit a free throw to put the Macs in front for good at 56-55 before Simon buried a three to build the lead to 59-55 with 4:50 to go.  Marywood would cut into the lead with a lay-up, but Simon was there for yet another response, this one from six feet behind the line to put IU up 62-57.
 
The Macs would go 8-of-9 down the stretch from the free throw line to put the game away for the 70-64 victory.
 
IU will now go on the road to Keystone on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
 
NOTES: Simon moved into third on the school's all-time made three pointers list at 112 for his career, passing Kendall Peters (2009-13).