Box Score

IMMACULATA, Pa.- After trailing for much of the game, the Immaculata women's basketball team staged a furious second half rally to take a brief lead before closing the game on a 14-3 run to defeat the Cairn University Highlanders (4-5, 1-3 CSAC) by a score of 66-63 in a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) contest on Wednesday night.  Senior Tamyra Laws also eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for her career, making her the 23^rd Mighty Mac to do so.
 
Laws had a big game with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and she was joined by sophomore Amber Ballinger who had a career-night with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists.  Senior Theresa Walsh played well with 12 points, six rebounds, and three steals, and freshman Erica Kramer poured in a career-high 10 points with two assists.
 
The Mighty Macs forced 28 turnovers out of the Highlanders while putting up 26 more shot attempts than Cairn.
 
Laws eclipsed the career milestone early in the first quarter as she scored the first four points for IU to give her 1,001 for her career, however, Cairn controlled the opening period and held a 24-12 advantage.
 
Cairn got their lead as large as 14 in the second quarter, but the Macs battled to keep the game in single digits after layups from Walsh and freshman Molly Gallagher, and a free throw by Kramer got the deficit down to six at 30-24.  The Highlanders took a 35-26 advantage into the locker room.
 
Cairn continued to control the game and grew their advantage to 16 points at 47-31 with 6:28 to go in the third, but the Macs staged a furious 19-2 run to close out the period to take their first lead of the game.  Ballinger hit a three and Laws converted a lay-up to make it 47-36 with 3:58 remaining, and Walsh followed with three straight to trim the deficit to eight.  After a Laws lay-up and free throw, Cairn hit their first field goal in more than five minutes to push the lead back to seven, but the Macs would not be slowed down.  Ballinger hit a three and a lay-up to trim the deficit to two, and a Laws jumper tied it at 49-49.  Ballinger knocked down a free throw with less than a second to go to put the Macs up 50-49 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
The Highlanders did not let the Macs hold the lead long as they outscored IU 11-2 in the opening five minutes of the period and led 60-52 with five minutes remaining.  In a game of big runs, the Macs would get the last one at the most important time.
 
Ballinger hit her third three of the game to make it 60-55, and Walsh converted a lay-up with four minutes remaining to trim the deficit to three at 60-57.  Kramer then hit the biggest shot of her young career, burying a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 60-60 with 2:33 to go.
 
The Highlanders got their final two points of the day with 1:42 to go, but Walsh responded with another lay-up to tie the game at 62-62.  Following a forced turnover by Laws, Ballinger stepped into her fourth and final three of the game and knocked it down to put the Macs up 65-62 with 1:05 to go.
 
The teams would trade free throws, but the Mac defense prevented a final attempt and IU won their second straight.
 
The Macs will now look to make it three in a row on Saturday with a 1 p.m. trip to Marywood.