Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata men's basketball team led for much of the second half in a critical Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) matchup on Wednesday night at Alumnae Hall against Cairn (2-8, 1-4 CSAC), but the Highlanders battled back to take a late 74-72 lead with under a minute to go.  However, the Macs were not going to be denied as senior Roy Ferrell Jr. converted a tradition three-point play with 22 seconds to go, and the IU defense held, punctuated by a block from sophomore Mike Piekarski in a thrilling 75-74 victory.  The Mighty Macs improved to 5-7 overall and 3-2 in CSAC play.
 
Junior Eric Pittman Jr. continued the outstanding start to his Immaculata career with a game-high 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 from the line, while grabbing eight rebounds.  Piekarski had the fifth double-double of his career with 17 points and 10 rebounds and senior Matt Simon filled the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high six assists.
 
The Mighty Macs were 27-of-62 (43.5%) from the field and held a 42-36 edge in rebounding.
 
The Macs held a small one-point lead, 35-34, at the break, and continued to keep the Highlanders at arms' length and added to their lead.  Pittman Jr. hit a pair of free throws to put the Macs up by 10 at 51-41 five minutes in, and a pair of Piekarski free throws swelled the lead to 13 at 57-44 which forced a Cairn timeout with 11:14 remaining in the game.  Cairn whittled the lead back down to seven at 57-50, but the Mighty Macs then went on a run to take their largest lead of the game.
 
A 10-1 spurt opened a 16-point lead at 67-51 with just over seven minutes to go.  Piekarski hit a pair of free throws before Pittman Jr. took over, scoring eight consecutive for the Macs around a Cairn free throw to stake IU to the large margin.  The lead would stay at 16 at 69-53 with 6:57 remaining.
 
That's when the Highlanders started their big run to take their only lead of the second half as they outscored the Macs 21-3 over the next six minutes to take a 74-72 lead with just 38 seconds remaining.  The Macs did not make a field goal in that stretch, but that all changed when Ferrell Jr. converted the big three-point play with 22 seconds remaining.
 
Cairn had two attempts in the closing seconds, but Simon and Piekarski came up with blocks to preserve the victory.
 
The first half was close the entire time with nine ties and three lead changes, and neither team leading by more than six points.
 
The Mighty Macs will look to make it two in a row at Marywood on Saturday at 3 p.m.