ARLINGTON, Va. - Marymount men's basketball took it down to the wire in Converse Family Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening in an Atlantic East opening matchup against the Mighty Macs of Immaculata.

With the tight 74-72 win, the Saints move to 7-5 overall on the season, 1-0 in AEC action. 

NOTABLE

• Marcus Stubbs led the starters in scoring, dropping 13 points alongside three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 
• Off of the bench, David King put up 13 points for Marymount on perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the floor.
• Montell Cooper narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds to his credit, adding five steals, four assists, and two blocks.
• Reuben McEachern had 11 points for the Saints with four rebounds and three steals. 
• Marcus Beckett put up 10 for Marymount.
• CJ Highsmith Jr. led the Saints on the glass with 12 total rebounds. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams got off to slow starts with fouls flurrying. A pair of rebounds from McEachern evened up the score at eight apiece with just under 15 minutes left of play in the first half. 
• A three from Beckett followed by a jumper in the paint from Cooper gave Marymount the lead at 13-to-10.
• With MU down 28-20, they needed a quick run to close the gap. After taking advantage of some key fouls and heading to the line, the Saints inched within two with over six minutes left of action in the half. 
• A final free throw from Jack Bifano evened up the tally at 41-41 heading into the half. 
• A jumper in the paint from Cooper gave the Saints a nine-point lead after a strong run early in the second half. 
• Marymount continued to hold the lead until the Mighty Macs handled a run late in the game, tying up the score 72 apiece with 26 seconds left to play.
• Highsmith Jr. found McEachern with an open look, sinking the decisive layup with Marymount holding onto the lead down the final second to earn the conference-opening win. 

UP NEXT

• Marymount will continue conference play this Saturday, traveling to Marywood for a 3 PM matchup.
• The Saints will play a non-conference game against reigning national champion CNU next Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 7 PM in Converse Family Fieldhouse.