Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- On Senior Night at Alumnae Hall, the Immaculata women's basketball team made a little history as they clinched the No. 2 overall seed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and a bye to the CSAC Semifinals for the first time in program history with a 79-40 victory over Centenary (8-16, 7-8 CSAC) on Wednesday night.  The Mighty Macs (15-9, 12-3 CSAC) will play the Cyclones again on Friday night in Hackettstown, but their seed will not change no matter the result.
 
The Mighty Macs rode a dominant first half performance when they forced 15 turnovers and allowed just four made field goals en route to a 45-13 lead at the half that was insurmountable.
 
Senior Sara Smith led the way for the Mighty Macs, who shot 20-for-24 as a team from the free throw line, with 18 points (8-for-8 free throws).  Senior Alison Zimny had a solid all-around game with 13 points, a team-high seven rebounds, and two steals, and senior Brittany Merkle was the other Mighty Mac in double figures with 10 points.  In all, 11 Mighty Macs scored on the night with 34 points coming off the bench, led by sophomore Reilly Larkin with nine points and senior Meghan Gallagher with eight points and five boards.
 
As a team, IU was very efficient from the field as they shot 13-for-27 in both halves for an overall percentage of 48.1% (26-for-54).  They also outrebounded the Cyclones, 46-30.
 
The teams traded baskets early on and with the score tied at 4-4, the Mighty Macs went on an 11-2 run to take a nine point lead nine minutes into the first half.  Merkle muscled her way in for a lay-up and Smith drained a wide-open three to get the run started.  IU then turned up the defensive pressure with Smith getting a steal in full court pressure defense and converting a feed from Fitzgerald, and senior Adriana Sciascia followed that up with a lay-up of her own as IU scored nine straight.  The teams then traded baskets as IU held a 15-6 advantage.
 
Centenary would score another bucket to cut the Immaculata lead to seven points at 15-8, but the Mighty Macs then went on an impressive 30-5 run over the final 11:09 of the first half to take the commanding 45-13 lead into the locker room.
 
Zimny, Smith, and Larkin all hit threes while the IU defense held Centenary off the scoreboard to quickly build the Immaculata lead up to 24-8.  Centenary made three free throws and Merkle hit two to slow down the Mighty Mac run, but they quickly kick started it again in the final five minutes of the half.
 
Holding a 27-11 lead, Merkle hit two free throws and Sciascia hit a lay-up to put IU up by 19 at 30-11.  Centenary got a bucket on their end, but it was the last time they scored the rest of the half with the Mighty Macs scoring the final 15 points to put the game out of reach at halftime.
 
Smith continued the good IU free throw shooting on the night (14-of-15 in the first half) with four free throws around Zimny's second three of the half from deep on a kick out pass from Gallagher.  Gallagher then showed off some offense by knocking down four free throws and a jumper in the final two minutes to send IU to the locker room with a 32-point advantage.
 
Immaculata did not let up in the second half as Centenary never got closer than 28 points and the Mighty Macs had their lead up to 40 points at 60-20 after two free throws by senior Emily Bell (4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists).  It grew as large as 44 points after the rare four-point play from the right wing by freshman Gina Cocci and the Mighty Macs went on to the 79-40 victory.
 
Prior to the game, the Immaculata women's basketball program honored seniors Emily Bell, Sam Bonvetti, Lindsay Cras, Mackie Fitzgerald, Meghan Gallagher, Brittany Merkle, Adriana Sciascia, Sara Smith, Alison Zimny, and junior Jacquelyn McClellan who were all playing in their final regular season home game at Alumnae Hall.
 
The Mighty Macs will play at least one more home game next Wednesday as the No. 2 seed in the CSAC Semifinals and they will await their opponent, who will play in the CSAC Quarterfinals on Monday night.
 
First, Immaculata will wrap up their regular season on Friday night with a 6 p.m. game against the Cyclones.