Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- Trailing 59-40 with 1:10 to go in the third quarter, the Mighty Mac women's basketball team (3-14, 2-5 CSAC) started on a furious rally that went to the final seconds of the game, but the Immaculata comeback would come up just short on Wednesday night at Alumnae Hall as they fell to Neumann (8-9 , 6-2 CSAC) by a score of 68-67.
 
Senior Reilly Larkin with 20 points (8-for-14 FG) and sophomore Theresa Walsh with 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field helped to lead the massive comeback attempt as the Macs outscored Neumann 27-9 over the final 11:10 of the game, but it came up just one point shy of sending it to extra time.
 
Junior Tamyra Laws had a strong game off the bench with nine points and a team-high 10 boards, and sophomore Gina Cocci had nine points and a team-best six assists.
 
After enduring a tough first half with just 20 points on 7-for-25 shooting, the Macs shot 19-for-32 (59.4%) after the break and scored 47 points.
 
Trailing by 19 points in the waning moments of the third quarter, Walsh scored back-to-back buckets to cut into the deficit and make it 59-44 heading to the fourth quarter.  The Macs then made it an 11-0 run overall with a layup and a three-pointer by Larkin, followed by another bucket from Walsh on a great pass from Cocci to make it 59-51 with 8:25 remaining.
 
The Mighty Macs would cut it as low as six in the middle of the quarter, but the Knights were there with a response and swelled their advantage back to nine at 68-59 with just 2:13 to go on the clock.
 
However, that would be the last points for Neumann the rest of the way and the Macs did not go down easily as Walsh kicked a pass out to Cocci for a three, and following a Neumann miss, Larkin hit her third triple of the game to make it a one possession game at 68-65 with 1:30 to go.
 
IU would have a shot to tie the game, but Laws missed the three pointer from the corner, but IU turned up the defensive pressure, and Walsh got a steal.  Laws then drove the lane and hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line to make it 68-66.
 
Neumann then tried to bleed the clock out and inbound the ball after advancing it out of a timeout, but Cocci dove on the floor for a loose ball, and got a jump ball call with the arrow pointed the Macs way.
 
On the inbounds play from near midcourt, Larkin snuck out the back side of the defense and was intentionally fouled which gave her two free throws with 3.9 seconds to go and the ball back for the Macs.  She knocked down 1-of-2, and the Macs were unable to get a shot off in the ensuing possession as they took the tough 68-67 defeat after the huge rally.
 
IU trailed 18-7 after one, and 36-20 at the half, but didn't go down easily in the CSAC defeat.
 
The Macs will look to ride the late game momentum this weekend when they host Notre Dame on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Alumnae Hall.