Box Score

ASTON, Pa. – Immaculata University's women's basketball team is headed back to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament championship game! The third-seeded Mighty Macs went on the road Wednesday night to second-seeded Neumann University and defeated the Knights, 60-53, in the semifinal round of CSAC Tournament.
 
Immaculata (19-8) will now head to top-seeded Cabrini College on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. to play for the CSAC title and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Immaculata last played for the conference championship during the 2010-11 season. That year, the Mighty Macs finished runner-up to Neumann.
 
Sara Smith poured in a game-high 27 points while Brittany Merkle had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Alison Zimny also finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. 
 
It was a nail-biter for all 40 minutes as the two squads went back-and-forth with 13 lead changes and eight ties. It wasn't until the final minute of the game that the Mighty Macs were able to finally pull away.
 
Neumann's Lauren Walker helped the hosts to an early eight-point lead as she knocked down three 3-point baskets during the opening seven minutes as the Knights led, 15-7, with 13:40 remaining in the first half.
 
Despite the Knights taking their largest lead of the game (22-13) with 7:26 to play in the half, following Walker three-ball at the 13:40 mark, Smith took the game into her own hands for the Mighty Macs. Smith went on a string of 19 straight points beginning with two free throws with 12:48 on the clock and capped it with a layup with 2:26 to play.
 
Immaculata was able to out-score Neumann 19-11 during the stretch and tie the contest up at 26-all. The team eventually went into the halftime locker rooms knotted at 28-28.
 
The Mighty Macs came out in the second half and grabbed the lead just 20 seconds into action, however a three by the Knights caused a lead change once again. Merkle then put in a layup that gave Immaculata a 32-21 lead with 19:06 remaining, and Immaculata would hold a small cushion for just over the three minutes.
 
Neumann scored seven-consecutive points to regain the advantage (40-37) with 13:53 to play, but it wouldn't last long. Marisa Kinsey and Zimny each connected on 3-pointers to hand the lead back to the Mighty Macs.
 
However, after Zimny's three with 9:58 left in the game for the 45-42 lead, the Mighty Macs went through a bit of a dry spell from the field. The Knights outscored the Mighty Macs over the next seven minutes, 9-3, as all three Immaculata points came at the foul line. Before Immaculata could sink another basket from the field, Neumann had retaken a 51-48 lead with 2:53 left in the contest.
 
Adriana Sciascia put in a layup with 2:29 remaining to break the drought, and the game came down to the final two minutes.
 
Neumann clung to a one-point lead (53-52) with 1:41 left, and one minute later Smith made a layup and was fouled on the play. After Smith hit the free throw to give Immaculata the 55-53 lead, the Mighty Macs iced the game away making 7 of 8 free throw attempts.