Box Score

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J.- For the second time in three days, the Immaculata women's basketball team had a wire-to-wire victory over Centenary, this time by a score of 68-49 in their final regular season game of the 2014-15 campaign.  With the win, the Mighty Macs (16-9, 13-3 CSAC) set a new team record with 13 conference wins, their most since joining a conference in 1992.
 
IU had already clinched the second seed in the upcoming CSAC postseason, their highest seed in school history, which guarantees the team a bye to the semifinals next Wednesday.
 
In tonight's game, senior Alison Zimny scored 14 points to tie senior Meghan Gallagher who set a new career-high with 14 points of her own.  Senior Sara Smith had a balanced night with eight points, 10 rebounds, and five steals, and sophomore Reilly Larkin added eight points off the bench as well.  Seniors Adriana Sciascia (seven rebounds) and Emily Bell each chipped in with seven points on a balanced scoring night for IU.  Senior Mackie Fitzgerald had a team-high four assists.
 
As a team, the Mighty Macs were relentless defensively, holding Centenary under 40% shooting from the field and forcing 29 turnovers, while outrebounding them, 39-30.
 
Immaculata took control of the game in the first half again, much like they did on Wednesday when they raced out to a 45-13 lead, and tonight they led 33-14 at the half and never looked back.  They only allowed the Cyclones to make five buckets in the first half as they built up a big first half lead.
 
The Mighty Macs scored 12 of the first 14 points to race out to a 10-point lead seven minutes into the game.  Senior Brittany Merkle (6 points) got the scoring started with a lay-up in the opening minute, then both offenses stalled for a few minutes before Merkle made another lay-up at the 15:20 mark.  Following a Centenary basket, the Mighty Macs scored the next eight points to go up by 10.  Zimny hit a lay-up and Smith knocked down a free throw before a triple from Larkin.  Gallagher scored her first points of the game to put IU up, 12-2.
 
Centenary trimmed the Mighty Mac lead to six points with four straight, but a 21-5 Immaculata burst started by Zimny and Larkin over the next 9:28 gave IU a commanding 22-point lead right before the half.  Larkin halted the 4-0 Centenary run with a lay-up and Zimny got her second bucket of the game to build the lead back to 10 points.  After two Cyclone free throws, Larkin hit another jumper and Zimny drilled a three-pointer to put the Macs up 21-8.
 
Centenary hit a three to cut the lead to 10 points, but Immaculata ripped off the next 12 to swell their lead heading into halftime.  A pair of Smith free throws sparked the next IU spurt followed by two Gallagher buckets and a Zimny lay-up in their next three possessions as Immaculata had found their offensive groove.  Two free throws by Sciascia and a lay-up from Gallagher finished up a big half for her and the Mighty Macs as they took a 33-14 lead into the break.
 
Immaculata continued to maintain their lead in the second half as Centenary could not get closer than 19 early on and the Macs grew their lead to its largest of the game at 23 points at 50-27 on a jumper from Sciascia at the 11-minute mark.  The Cyclones made it a 61-44 game with three minutes left, but the Mighty Macs wrapped up the 68-49 win to finish their regular season on a two-game winning streak.
 
Immaculata will now shift their focus to the CSAC postseason and aiming for a return trip to the CSAC Championship, where the Macs fell to Cabrini in the title game last season.  The Mighty Macs will now await the results of the CSAC Quarterfinals this coming Monday.
 
No. 3 Gwynedd Mercy will host No. 6 Rosemont, and if the Griffins win, they will travel to Alumnae Hall on Wednesday, February 25^th at 7 p.m. for a bid to the CSAC Championship.  If Rosemont wins, the Mighty Macs will play the winner of the other quarterfinal between No. 4 Marywood and No. 5 Keystone.  Top-seeded Cabrini will host the other CSAC Semifinal.