IMMACULATA, Pa. - The Immaculata men's basketball team trailed visiting Neumann by as much as 18 in the second half and cut the deficit down to four in the closing minutes, but was unable to complete the comeback Wednesday night at Alumane Hall, falling 85-76. Chris Lomax led the charge with 11 points in the second half - including a pair of critical and-one plays down the stretch - while Mike Piekarski led the Macs with 18 points on the night.

The loss drops Immaculata to 5-6 in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs were in control in the early going with a 5-0 run to start the game and a stingy defensive attack to limit the Knights offensively, resulting in a 12.5% three-point field goal percentage in the first half alone.
-Neumann would rebound to take a 13-12 lead with just under ten minutes in the first half, but Brandon McCullough's lay in gave the Macs the advantage right back with eight minutes remaining.
-The Knights responded by stretching their lead back out to nine, but five points from Piekarski and four from Will Chapman in the closing minutes of the half cut the deficit to five.
-Neumann came out with the hot hand in the second half, extending its lead to a game-high 18 by the 9:38 mark. The Macs then ripped off a 16-4 run capped off by a Piekarski three to shred the Knight lead to six with just over six minutes remaining in regulation.
-With just over two minutes left and the deficit back to seven, Lomax drove the lane and connected on a floater while also drawing the foul, setting up a three-point play to make it a two-possession game.
-However, Neumann would go on to convert on six of its final seven free throws down the stretch to hold on for the nine-point win.

KEY TEAM STATS
-The Macs shot 28-of-71 (39.4%) from the field, while Neumann was 29-of-61 (47.5%).
-IU shot only 6-of-23 (26.1%) from beyond the arc, but the Knights did not fare much better, finishing the night at 2-of-14 (14.3%).
-Both teams were efficient at the free throw line with the Macs converting on 14-of-19 (73.7%) attempts and Neumann at 25-of-35 (71.4%).
-Neumann controlled the battle on the boards, 45-37.
-IU got 27 points from its bench on the night, led by Lomax's 11 and seven from Jeffrey Powell-Young.

KEY INDIVIDUAL STATS
-IU Point Leaders: Piekarski 18, McHugh and Lomax 11
-IU Rebound Leaders: Piekarski 6, Savage 5, McCullough and Powell-Young 4
-IU Assist Leaders: Chapman 8, Piekarski and McCullough 3

UP NEXT
Immaculata (8-9, 5-6 CSAC) completes this week of CSAC play at Clarks Summit Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 3 p.m.