SCRANTON, Pa. - The Immaculata University men's basketball team came into Wednesday night's Atlantic East Conference matchup at Marywood looking to clinch a spot in next week's inaugural conference tournament, but came up short to the sharp-shooting host Pacers, 99-72. Marywood shot over 50 percent from the floor in the first half to take a 17-point lead into the break, and despite 13 second-half points from
Mike Piekarski, the Macs were unable to fight their back into the game.
Piekarski ended the night with a game-high 26 points, while
Brandon McCullough (16 points) and
Andre Allen (10 points) also pitched in double-figure scoring nights.
Despite the loss, the Mighty Macs have clinched the sixth seed in the upcoming Atlantic East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. They will travel to either Marymount or Wesley on Monday evening for the Atlantic East Quarterfinals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs got out to a quick start in the first five-plus minutes of Wednesday night's matchup, jumping out to an eight-point lead early on. However, an ensuing 20-0 Marywood run vaulted the Pacers to a 12-point lead at the ten-minute mark of the first half, and went on to take a 48-31 lead into the break.
-The Pacers continued to build their lead in the early stages of the second half while the Macs struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, thwarting a comeback attempt as Marywood went on to pick up the 99-72 victory.
TEAM COMPARISON
-Marywood shot 50.8 percent (31-61) from the floor on the night, opposite IU's mark of 35.8 percent (24-67).
-The Pacers also led the Macs from beyond the arc, shooting at a 37.5 percent (9-24) clip while IU finished the night at 22.2 percent (6-27).
-The Macs came down with 30 rebounds, falling short to Marywood's total of 51.
-Both sides committed 14 turnovers on the night, with the Macs scoring 17 points on those chances.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
-Points: Piekarski 26, McCullough 16, Allen 10
-Rebounds: Piekarski 8, Cade 6, McCullough 5
-Assists: Ambrose/Piekarski 3
-Steals: Ambrose/Piekarski 2
-Blocks: McArthur/Cade/McCullough
UP NEXT
Immaculata (10-15, 4-8 Atlantic East) is the sixth seed heading to the Atlantic East Tournament and will travel to Wesley or Marymount on Monday night.
