Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata University's women's basketball team scored 45 points in the first half to stake out the early lead, and cruised for the 67-34 win against Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday night in non-conference action.

Chrissy Esbensen led the way for the Mighty Macs with 15 points, six steals and four assists.  Chelsea McTigue finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Leah Kuczynski was the other Immaculata player to record double-digits with 10 points, a team-high seven rebounds and three steals. Bridget Welz also chipped in eight points and five rebounds, and Marisa Kinsey added seven points and had three steals.

The Mighty Macs outscored the Scarlet Raptors 45-15 during the opening half. Immaculata set the pace early as it opened the contest on an 11-2 run during the first three minutes. Rutgers-Camden brought the contest within five (13-8) at the 15:39 mark, but three scoreless stretches doomed the Raptors.

Immaculata scored six straight before Rutgers-Camden answered, and following the Raptors' bucket with 11:10 left to make the score 19-10, the Mighty Macs pushed the margin to 23-10. The Raptors' Cesyana Thompson-Blissett hit a jumper with 8:24 to play in the half, and that would be Rutgers-Camden's last basket until 1:16 before the break. During the span, the Mighty Macs poured in 18 points to lead by 29 (41-12).

Gina Lynn Pearson nailed a three-pointer for Rutgers-Camden just over a minute before halftime, but Kuczynski connected on both her free throws to push Immaculata's margin to the largest of the half, 45-15, at the break.

The final 67-34 margin was the largest lead the Mighty Macs had all night, but Rutgers-Camden came no closer than 21 (51-30) during the second stanza.

Stephanie Deisley had 10 points to pace the Raptors. Alyca Milakovic had a game-high eight rebounds, and Cynthia Williams also grabbed seven rebounds for Rutgers-Camden.

Immaculata heads to Neumann on Monday, Nov. 29, for its first Colonial States Athletic Conference contest of the 2010-11 slate. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.