VIDEO PREVIEW

IMMACULATA, Pa. – For the second time in four years, Immaculata University's women's basketball team has the opportunity to play for the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) crown and the conference's bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Immaculata will meet Cabrini College on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. inside Nerney Field House in the CSAC championship game.
 
Saturday will be just the Mighty Macs' third trip to the conference championship game since they became a member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) in 1992, which changed to the CSAC following the 2008 campaign. Immaculata last played in the final during the 2010-11 season and finished as the conference runner-up. Immaculata's first appearance in the title game was during its first year as a member of the conference during the 1992-93 season. The Mighty Macs lost the 1993 championship to Cabrini, 62-56.
 
Saturday's showdown between Immaculata and Cabrini will be just the second-ever meeting in the postseason conference tournament for the two programs.  
 
The third-seeded Mighty Macs (19-8), led by the CSAC Coach of the Year Patty Canterino, punched their ticket to the CSAC Championship with a 60-53 victory on the road at second-seeded Neumann University on Wednesday night in the semifinal round. Junior guard Sara Smith led Immaculata was a game-high 27 points, including a stretch of 19 in-a-row during the first half. The Mighty Macs reached the semifinals by defeating sixth-seeded Rosemont College, 77-74, in the quarterfinal. Junior guard Lindsay Cras chipped in a career-high 24 points in the Mighty Macs' win against the Ravens.
 
Top-seeded Cabrini (22-4) will play for the conference championship for the second-straight season and ninth time overall. The Cavaliers dispatched fifth-seeded Gwynedd Mercy University, 78-59, in the other semifinal Wednesday night. Amber Keys recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead a group of Cavaliers in double digits.  Cabrini received a bye into the semifinals following its 15-1 conference regular-season record.

The Cavaliers are the defending CSAC champions following a 49-38 victory at home against Gwynedd Mercy in last season's conference final. Cabrini has hoisted the conference trophy six times previously, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

Immaculata and Cabrini met only once this regular season at IU's Alumnae Hall on February 12. The Cavaliers used a second-half comeback to defeat the Mighty Macs, 59-48. Adriana Sciascia led Immaculata in scoring with 19 points while Smith had eight and Alison Zimny seven points. Brittany Merkle recorded a career-best 17 rebounds during the contest. The Cavaliers were led by CSAC Player of the Year Brittany Sandone's 18 points.

There is no charge for admission into Saturday's CSAC Women's Basketball Championship game.