Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa. – Adriana Sciascia had 16 points and Sara Smith added 12 as Immaculata University's women's basketball team dropped a 63-58 non-conference game to DeSales University Saturday afternoon inside Alumnae Hall.
 
Brittany Merkle led the Mighty Macs (0-3) on the glass with 10 rebounds and had eight points and two blocked shots. Mackie Fitzgerald dished out six assists to go along with five points and three steals.
 
After a slow start for Immaculata that allowed DeSales to take a 9-3 lead, Meghan Gallagher scored the first field goal for the Mighty Macs at the 13:40 mark.  Gallagher's bucket sparked a 14-point run by Immaculata that ended in its largest lead of the contest, 17-9, with 6:04 to play before halftime. Sciascia had seven of her 16 points during this spurt.
 
DeSales rallied with an 8-2 run to trim Immaculata's lead to 19-17 with 3:41 left in the first half, and the Bulldogs eventually tied the contest at 24-all with 1:27 remaining before halftime. DeSales took a one-point edge as Kelly Anthony converted the three-point play. Immaculata grabbed back the edge with 35 seconds left in the half as Fitzgerald hit a jumper to give the Mighty Macs the 26-25 lead at the break.
 
The first 10 minutes of the second half was a see-saw battle between the Mighty Macs and Bulldogs. Each squad led by three points during the opening span, but yet neither team was able to separate itself from the other.
 
Merkle tied the game at 40-40 with 9:52 to play, making it the fifth tied score in the contest. The Bulldogs gained all the momentum for the next 4:44 as they outscored the Mighty Macs, 11-2, to take their largest advantage of the game, 51-42, with 5:18 to play in the contest.
 
The Mighty Macs got within three of the Bulldogs, 56-53, with 1:41 remaining, and still trailed by three (58-55) just inside one minute left in the contest. Five points by DeSales' Leandra Sterner before Immaculata could answer on its end of the court put the Bulldogs ahead, 63-55, with 19 seconds left. Smith knocked down a three for the Mighty Macs with nine ticks remaining cutting their deficit to five. After DeSales missed the first of a one-and-one, Immaculata grabbed the rebound, but the three attempt didn't go, and the Mighty Macs would run out of opportunities.
 
Immaculata concludes its four-game home stand on Monday hosting Lancaster Bible at 6 p.m.