Box Score

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.- The Immaculata women's basketball team grabbed their sixth straight Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC ) victory to start the season with a big 77-71 road victory at Gwynedd Mercy (9-7, 5-2 CSAC).  With the victory, the Mighty Macs (9-6, 6-0 CSAC) remain tied atop the conference with Cabrini, who they face on Wednesday.
 
Senior Sara Smith had another big game with 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting to lead the Mighty Macs, while senior Mackie Fitzgerald set a career-high with 17 points on 9-for-9 shooting from the free throw stripe.  Senior Lindsay Cras added 13 points off the bench, and senior Brittany Merkle pulled down 13 rebounds, had five blocks and also added seven points.
 
For the game, IU shot 22-for-26 from the line and turned the ball over a season-low four times.
 
The teams battled back and forth in the first half as each team didn't have a lead greater than five and the Griffins took a 35-33 to the locker room.
 
The teams continued to trade baskets and Gwynedd led 45-44 with 13:13 to go when the Mighty Macs ripped off a 19-4 run over the next 6:01 to take control of the close ball game.
 
Fitzgerald knocked down a pair of free throws to give IU the lead and Smith hit a jumper and a lay-up to extend their lead to 50-45.  The Griffins then got a three-point play, but Fitzgerald knocked down a jumper and Cras buried a three to take their largest lead of the game at 55-48 with 10 minutes to go.
 
The Mighty Macs then forced two more turnovers and Smith converted one for a jumper and Cras got a fast break lay-up to extend the advantage to 59-48.  Gwynedd got a free throw to slow the run, but senior Alison Zimny got a lay-up and Cras converted another lay-up to get their lead to 63-49.
 
Gwynedd then started chipping away at the lead as they got it down to 67-63 with 2:29 to go, but Smith knocked down a lay-up on back-to-back possessions to maintain their advantage. 
 
IU iced the game away down the stretch by going 6-for-6 at the free throw line, including four by Fitzgerald to claim the 77-71 road victory.
 
IU will now have a game to determine first place in the CSAC on the road on Wednesday at Cabrini, beginning at 7 p.m.
 
NOTES:  With her 23 points tonight, Smith moved into 19^th place on the all-time scoring list, passing Mary Tipping (1983-87) and Kelly Brown (2008-12) … Merkle tied a career-high with five blocks and went over 500 points for her career … Fitzgerald passed her previous career-high scoring total which she set on January 5, 2015 with 16 points against PSU-Harrisburg … Senior Adriana Sciascia went over the 600 career points and 200 career rebounds plateau.