Box Score

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.- The Immaculata men's basketball team outscored Gwynedd Mercy (17-5, 11-4) by a count of 40-26 after halftime to erase a 10-point halftime deficit and defeat the Griffins, 66-60, to clinch their eight consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoff appearance.
 
The Mighty Macs forced 18 turnovers, allowed the Griffins to shoot just 8-for-31 (25.8%) in the second half, including 0-for-11 from three-point range to take control of the game.
 
IU turned the ball over just nine times and was 18-for-24 from the free throw line to offset a tough night shooting from the field (21-for-67).  Senior Roy Ferrell Jr. scored 22 points to pace IU (7-for-17) and eclipsed the 1,200-point mark for his career.  He also moved into fifth on the free throws attempted list at IU and has pulled down the third most offensive rebounds.
 
Junior Eric Pittman Jr. (7-for-8 FT) and senior Matt Simon (5-for-6 FT) had 13 points each while Simon led the squad with nine rebounds.  Freshman Jordan Ambrose had eight points and a team-high four assists.
 
In the first half, both teams struggled to score early, but the game was tied at 19-19 with nine minutes to go before the break.  IU held a pair of two-point leads, but the Griffins went on a 12-1 run late in the period to take a 10-point lead, 36-26, into the locker room.
 
The opening minutes of the second half presented much of the same challenge to the Macs as the Griffins grew their lead to 12 out of the gates, and although IU trimmed it to five, Gwynedd ballooned it back to 12 points at 49-37 with 12 minutes to go before halftime.
 
The Mighty Macs finally went on their run over the next five and a half minutes as they outscored Gwynedd, 16-4, over that span to tie the game at 53-53.  A pair of Simon free throws, consecutive jumpers by Pittman Jr. and Ferrell Jr., and a free throw by Pittman Jr. made it a seven-point game before Simon hit a lay-up, Ferrell Jr. buried a three, Pittman Jr. hit two free throws, and a lay-up by sophomore Mike Piekarski tied the game.
 
Gwynedd would take brief leads again, but the Macs responded each time and the game remained tied 58-58 with 3:27 to go, and following another two-point Gwynedd lead, Pittman Jr. hit two more free throws to get to the eighth tie of the game at 60-60 with two minutes remaining.
 
IU then held Gwynedd scoreless the rest of the game, and the Mighty Macs took their first lead since the first half on a pair of free throws by Simon with 1:22 to go.  Two free throws by Ferrell Jr. and a lay-up by Pittman Jr. put the game away.
 
The Macs return home on Saturday to host Marywood at 3 p.m. at Alumnae Hall.