Box Score

SCRANTON, Pa. – Leah Kuczynski scored 21 points, and Bridget Welz added 20, as visiting Immaculata University defeated host Marywood University, 68-66, in a Colonial States Athletic Conference women's basketball contest Monday evening.
 
Immaculata (13-11, 11-4 CSAC) moved into a three-way tie for second place, along with Marywood (16-8, 11-4) and Baptist Bible College, in the CSAC's overall standings.  
 
Immaculata went on a 14-1 run midway through the first half to take a 12-point lead (18-6) and never looked back. The Mighty Macs stretched that lead to 18 (39-21) by halftime. Kuczynski already had 14 of her game-high 21, and Welz had 10, as the starting five accounted for all 39 points in the first 20 minutes of play.
 
Eight of Welz's 10 points in the first half came during the Mighty Macs' decisive run.
 
Marywood would not go away, however. The Pacers slowly chipped away at the Mighty Macs' sizeable advantage, eventually getting the deficit to three (66-63) with 21 second left on the game clock.
 
Kelly Brown then converted one of two free throw opportunities to put the visitors up 67-63 with 18 ticks remaining. Marywood's Allison Bruet drained a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to draw the Pacers within one. However, Immaculata freshman Sara Smith made one of two foul shots with five seconds remaining, and Marywood's Mariah Schaeffer missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
 
Brown finished with 11 points in the game, along with Chrissy Esbensen, leaving four Mighty Macs in double figures in the scoring column.
 
Marywood's Maggie Presnal led the Pacers with 20 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Schaeffer added 10.
 
The Mighty Macs travel to Notre Dame on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A win over the Gators, coupled with a Baptist Bible loss to Neumann that night as well, could secure the second seed in the CSAC Tournament for Immaculata.