Box Score

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.- The Immaculata women's basketball team (8-18) returned to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) postseason after a year off last season as a number six seed, and travelled to third seeded Gwynedd Mercy (16-10) on Monday night for a quarterfinal matchup, but the Mighty Macs struggled to get going offensively and saw their 2016-17 season come to an end with a 68-33 defeat.
 
Senior Tamyra Laws, in her final game as a Mighty Mac, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, both team highs.  Freshman Erica Kramer came off the bench and scored eight points with two assists, and sophomore Amber Ballinger had six points and six rebounds.
 
Senior Tess Kieffer, junior Mamako Johnson, and junior Theresa Walsh all played in their final contest as a Mighty Mac as well.
 
The Mighty Macs were done in by their shooting as they were 12-for- 55 (21.8%) from the floor.
 
The game started very slowly as both teams struggled on the offensive end.  The Griffins made two three point baskets in the first 7:42 of the first quarter to lead 6-0 before Laws hit a free throw to get the Macs on the board.  Ballinger scored on an offensive rebound with 30 seconds left in the quarter to make it 8-3 Gwynedd before the Griffins scored at the end of the quarter to put them in front 10-3 at the end of the first.
 
The Griffins scored the first two buckets of the second quarter before a Laws basket cut the deficit back to nine points at 14-5.  Gwynedd swelled the advantage to 17 points at 24-7, but a free throw by Johnson and a triple from Ballinger shrunk the deficit back down to 13 at 24-11.  The Griffins then closed the period on an 8-1 run to take a 32-12 lead to the locker room.
 
In the third quarter, the Griffins squashed any chance of an Immaculata run with a 10-0 run out of the gates.  Freshman Annie Kohutka hit a jumper with 3:58 to go in the quarter to get the Macs on the board in the second half, and junior Gina Cocci hit a three pointer to make it 42-17.  The Griffins scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 47-17 lead to the fourth.
 
The Mighty Macs scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, but the Griffins responded with 21 of their own and sealed the CSAC Quarterfinal victory.
 
The Griffins will advance to the CSAC Semifinals at Neumann on Wednesday.