Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa. – Brittany Merkle scored 19 second half-points as Immaculata University women's basketball held off visiting Keystone College, 85-78, to stay perfect in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC).

Immaculata improved to 7-0 in the CSAC and 12-3 overall with the win. The Mighty Macs have won all six of their home contests this season. Keystone slips to 11-6, 5-3 in the league.

All five Immaculata starters scored in double figures led by Merkle's 19 points and seven rebounds. Sara Smith recorded her second double-double this season with 14 points and 10 rebounds while adding three steals. Mackie Fitzgerald also added 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Alison Zimny posted 11 points and five assists, while Adriana Sciascia rounded out the starting five with 10 points.

Leading only by two points at halftime, Immaculata came out during the first five minutes of the second half ready to pull away from Keystone. The Giants had a three-point basket to begin the second half to once again take the lead, 32-31, but it was the Mighty Macs who would score the next seven points.

Merkle made a three-point play to begin the run for Immaculata with 19:18 on the clock. Smith then knocked down two free throws, and Sciascia later made a jumper to cap the 7-0 run for the Mighty Macs as they led, 38-32, with 18:06 remaining.

The Mighty Macs' run didn't stop there as after another three-pointer by the Giants, Immaculata again scored seven consecutive points to pull out to its first double-digit lead of the night (45-35) with 15:23 left in the game.

Keystone cut it as close as three points, the last time at the 12:32 mark (49-46), but four minutes later Immaculata had taken its largest advantage of the game (61-48). Merkle again led the charge with five points in the spurt.

The Giants cut their deficit to seven (67-60) with 5:22 to play, but the Mighty Macs were able to keep them at bay the rest of the way.

The first half involved 12 lead changes and the score was tied five times before Immaculata was able to take a two-point lead into halftime (31-29) after Zimny knocked down a jumper with 1:10 remaining in the opening stanza.

Keystone led by as many as four (6-2), and Immaculata was ahead by as many as three (22-19) during the first half.

Immaculata went 28-for-60 (.467) from the field and was 25 of 33 (.758) from the foul line. Keystone was 29-for-64 (.453) from the field and 14 of 18 (.778) at the charity stripe.

Immaculata is on the road Saturday at 1 p.m. taking on Baptist Bible. The Mighty Macs defeated the Defenders, 71-31, the first time the two teams faced off this season.