Box Score

ASTON, Pa. – Immaculata University's women's basketball team had its four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night at Neumann as the host Knights' strong second half gave Neumann the 68-55 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) victory.
 
Immaculata (7-13, 7-4 CSAC) was led by Tamyra Laws' double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds, and Amber Ballinger was the team's leading scorer with 18 points. Laws reached the 1,000-rebound mark for her collegiate career tonight, and the senior forward had become a 1,000-point scorer earlier in the season. Laws also had two blocks and two assists in the contest. Ballinger was 6-for-7 on free throws and had three steals. Theresa Walsh also scored in double figures and was one rebound shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds to go along with three steals.
 
Neumann (14-6, 9-2 CSAC) started the game out on a hot streak as the Knights began with an 11-2 spurt during the opening six minutes. Immaculata had a layup from Walsh at the 7:43 mark, and then was held quiet. The Mighty Macs ended that slow start when Tess Kieffer made a layup with 3:33 to play in the quarter, and Walsh made two layups during the final minute as Immaculata trailed Neumann by just four points, 12-8, after the first quarter.
 
The second quarter started with a 6-0 run by Immaculata, giving the visiting Mighty Macs a 14-12 lead with 8:04 to play in the stanza. The Mighty Macs got a free throw by Laws, then a pair of free throws from Ballinger before Ballinger capped the spurt with a three-point field goal. The two squads were tied at both 14 and 16 before back-to-back layups by Ballinger and a jumper from Annie Kohutka handed the Mighty Macs a six-point edge, 22-16, with 4:04 left before halftime. The Knights were able to tie the score at 24-24 by halftime on an 8-2 run.
 
Immaculata had an answer for every Neumann basket to start the third quarter as the Mighty Macs and Knights were tied three times during the first three minutes. Laws tied the contest at 30-all with 7:36 to go starting a 6-0 run, in which she scored all six points, for a 34-30 Immaculata lead.
 
Neumann scored five-straight points to take a 35-34 lead, but Walsh gave the advantage back to Immaculata (36-35) with her layup at the 4:02 mark.  That would be the last lead for the Mighty Macs as the Knights went on an 8-3 run to end the third quarter, and Neumann was ahead, 43-39, heading to the final quarter of action.
 
Neumann pushed its lead to 45-39 with the opening bucket of the fourth quarter, but Laws' four points put Immaculata down by only two (45-43) at the 7:17 mark. The Knights extended their advantage to seven (50-43) with 6:11 remaining, but Ballinger connected on another three and Walsh finished off a three-point play to cut Neumann's lead to 52-49 with 5:02 left.
 
The Knights grew their lead to 61-53 with 1:20 to play on a 9-4 run, as the Mighty Macs were limited to four made free throws by Ballinger. Laws then got the Mighty Macs within six (61-55) with 1:17 to go with a layup, but Neumann sealed up the win with a 5-for-6 effort at the foul line before putting in layup with 14seconds for the 68-55 win.   
 
Immaculata shot 45.7 percent (21-46) from the field and 61.1 percent (11-18) from the free throw line as compared to Neumann's 41.5 percent (27-65) from the field and 60 percent (12-20) at the charity stripe.
 
Immaculata travels to Gwynedd Mercy on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m.