Scranton, Pa. — Marywood University defeated Keystone College 79-64 Wednesday in its home opener. In front of 327 hungry fans at the Insalaco Arena, the Pacers recorded their 11th straight win over the Giants.
Marywood had two players with double-doubles. Michel Loftin scored 24 points and 11 rebounds. Shilo Bivins had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Loftin went 11 for 18 from the field, in addition to five assists and three steals. Bivins made 7 of 10 shots.
Joe Macciocco tallied 11 points, and Ty Cheney had career highs with 10 points and six assists.
Marywood edged the Giants 42-36 in rebounds. The Pacers shot 47.9 percent from the field to the 40 percent mark by the Giants. The Pacers struggled from beyond the arc at a 24.1 percent clip.
The Pacers dominated the Giants in the paint (46-28) and points off turnovers (19-7).
The Giants held their own early, jumping out to a 10–5 lead midway through the first half behind baskets from Ahmodrion Jones and Jden Golding. Jones' tip-in and free throws capped the run, but the Pacers answered with a 9–0 spurt, highlighted by Michel Loftin's inside scoring and a three-pointer from Shilo Bivins, giving Marywood its first extended lead. Loftin and Bivins combined for 22 first-half points as the Pacers took a 35–30 advantage into halftime.
Keystone briefly cut the margin to six early in the second half after a Jones layup made it 34–40, but Marywood caught fire from the field. Loftin and Ty Cheney fueled a decisive 14–5 run, punctuated by a fastbreak dunk from Bivins and a transition three by Noah Perry.
Ahmodrian Jones scored 22 points for the Giants. Jden Golding netted 17 points.
Marywood hosts Hartwick College on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.
