Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- Trailing by 13 at one point in the second half to visiting Cabrini, the Immaculata women's basketball team used a big comeback to get within one point and had two chances to take the lead in the final seconds of the game, but were unable to convert and dropped a tough 65-64 decision to the Cavaliers (21-3, 15-0 CSAC).  The Mighty Macs (14-8, 11-2 CSAC) remain alone in second place in the CSAC standings with three games remaining and can clinch the second seed overall with one more CSAC victory, which would guarantee them a bye to the semifinals.
 
Immaculata was led by senior Adriana Sciascia with 18 points and five boards.  Senior Sara Smith added 13 points and eight rebounds, while senior Lindsay Cras was a spark off the bench with 10 points, several coming at crucial moments down the stretch.
 
The Mighty Macs were stout defensively again as they held the Cavaliers to just 35.6% (26-for-73) shooting from the field, and IU shot 42.4% (25-for-59), including six three pointers.
 
The Mighty Macs led Cabrini 29-27 at the half after an impressive old fashioned three point play by Smith that ended the half and sent IU to the locker room with a lead.  However, Cabrini stormed out of the gates to start the second half with a 14-0 run over the first 4:31 to take a 41-29 lead.  Smith knocked down a jumper that finally halted the run.
 
The Cavaliers swelled their lead up to 13 points, their largest of the game, at 45-32 with 12 minutes remaining and continued to hold their double digit advantage for much of the half as they had a response every time the Mighty Macs tried to shrink the lead.
 
Cabrini led 60-50 with just 4:24 to go in the contest when Immaculata went on a 10-1 run over the next 2:30 to cut it to a one point game.  Sciascia got it started with a tough runner in the lane that she got to fall and then it was Cras' turn to step up as she hit a three pointer from the corner on a swing pass from Sciascia that cut the lead to 60-55.
 
Following a Cabrini free throw, Cras did it again from the exact same spot on the court and knocked down a three pointer on a pass from senior Mackie Fitzgerald (7 points, 6 rebounds) that made it a 61-58 game with three minutes to go.  The Immaculata defense held on the other end and Sciascia converted another tough shot in the lane that cut the deficit to one at 61-60 with 2:12 remaining.
 
Cabrini's Amber Keys (33 points, 13 rebounds) hit a lay-up on the other end, but Cras would convert two free throws for IU that kept it at a one-point game, 63-62, with 1:28 to go.  Keys would again score for the Cavaliers, but this time it was senior Brittany Merkle (4 points, 9 rebounds) who kept it at a one point game with a lay-up on a great drop pass from Fitzgerald with 41 seconds to go.
 
Trailing 65-64, the Mighty Macs turned up the defensive pressure in the backcourt, and Merkle and Cras combined to get a jump ball with the possession going back to IU.  With possession, the Mighty Macs tried to get a good look, but turned the ball over and sent Cabrini to the line for a one-and-one opportunity.
 
Cabrini missed the free throw and the Mighty Macs found Sara Smith on the wing, who drove hard under the basket and put up a tough contested lay-up with four seconds left that came up just short and the Cavaliers grabbed the rebound and held on for the 65-64 victory in a matchup of the two top teams in the CSAC.
 
The Mighty Macs have already clinched at least one home postseason game, and with one more win or a Gwynedd Mercy loss, IU will claim the number two seed and get a bye to the CSAC Semifinals for the first time in team history.
 
IU will look to do this on Monday when they travel to Neumann looking for the season sweep of the Knights at 6 p.m.