Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata men's basketball team started their 2016-17 season with the second half of an Alumnae Hall doubleheader on Tuesday  night against Delaware Valley, and the Macs were done in by a cold shooting night and fell 73-44 to the Aggies.  The Macs were 11-for-68 (16.2%) from the field, 1-for-20 (5.0%) from the three-point line, and 21-for-36 (58.3%) on free throws in the season-opening loss.
 
Sophomore Mike Piekarski picked up the fourth double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four steals and three blocks.  Senior Roy Ferrell Jr. led the team with 12 points (8-for-10 FT) and kicked in seven boards.
 
The first half was close as Del Val had just a 29-24 lead, but the Macs went through a 10-minute stretch in the second half without a field goal which allowed the Aggies to pull away and outscore IU 44-20 after the break.
 
The Macs never led in the game, but the teams traded baskets early before the Aggies got out to a 12-7 lead eight minutes into the contest.  The Macs trimmed it back to two after the first collegiate bucket by freshman Jordan Ambrose and a free throw by Piekarski.
 
Delaware Valley then used a 7-1 spurt to swell their lead to eight, the largest of the game to that point, with 7:23 remaining before the half.  The lead got as large as 10 at 23-13 with 4:40 left in the first half, but the Macs got a bucket by freshman Josh Singleton (6 rebounds) and a combined four free throws by Ferrell Jr. and junior Will Chapman (5 points, 4 steals) to trim the deficit to 23-19.
 
A bucket at the buzzer gave the Aggies a 29-24 lead at the break.
 
After halftime, Delaware Valley raced out to a 38-25 lead on a 9-1 run, but senior Matt Simon (5 points) hit a three and a jumper on back-to-back possessions to keep IU in it.
 
Delaware Valley then went on a 25-5 run over the next nine minutes to build an insurmountable lead that the Macs were not able to recover from in the season opening defeat.
 
The Macs will now look forward to the TownePlace Suites Tip-Off Tournament hosted by Messiah, and the Macs will open with the hosts on Friday at 8 p.m.