Box Score IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata University's women's basketball team lost its season opener Saturday afternoon to Rowan, 61-57, in front of a packed house. The Mighty Mac women's basketball teams of 1972, 1973 and 1974, whom were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this past summer, were honored with a banner and players were given their official hall of fame rings.
 
Immaculata's Sara Smith led all scorers with 19 points and had seven rebounds and three steals. Alison Zimny and Mackie Fitzgerald each finished with seven points and four rebounds. Zimny had three assists and three steals, while Fitzgerald dished out five helpers and swiped four steals. Brittany Merkle led the Mighty Macs on the boards with eight rebounds.
 
The Mighty Macs (0-1) had the lead in the early part of the contest and led 9-6 just inside the 15-minute mark of the first half. That's when the Profs went on a 7-0 run to take their first advantage of the contest, 13-9, at the 13:03 mark.
 
Immaculata would eventually tie the game at 15-all, but an 8-3 Rowan run gave the hosts the largest lead of the opening half, 23-18, with 5:17 remaining. Smith started a 10-2 spurt by Immaculata to close out the first half with four points, and the Mighty Macs had regained the lead at halftime, 28-25.
 
Rowan (1-0) connected on the first three-point basket by either team 17 seconds into the second half tying the game at 28-all. That three started a 10-0 run for the Profs during the opening three minutes of the second period.
 
Immaculata climbed within one (36-35) after outscoring Rowan, 7-1, in just over two minutes at the 14:32 mark. The Mighty Macs were able to answer the Profs and stay within two points of the visitors until the seven-minute mark. Rowan was ahead, 46-44, when it scored seven-straight points for the largest lead of the contest (53-44).
 
The Mighty Macs were able to cut their deficit to five (55-50) with three minutes to play, and later got within four (57-53) with 1:59 on the clock. The Profs went 4-for-7 at the free throw line during the closing 1:47, but a layup by Adriana Sciascia and a bucket by Smith in the final second was all the scoring the Mighty Macs could provide.
 
Immaculata continues its opening home stand on Thursday evening, Nov. 20, hosting Moravian at 6 p.m.