COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Immaculata closed strong, outscoring Ursinus 17–9 in the fourth quarter to secure a 63–58 road victory on Saturday afternoon.
Olivia Ettorre powered the Mighty Macs with 19 points, knocking down 4 of 6 from three-point range while adding three rebounds and a steal.
Abby Grillo contributed 12 points and five boards, and
Carly Coleman added 10 points, nine rebounds, and came up with a crucial steal with eight seconds left to help seal the win.
The victory moves Immaculata to 2–0 on the season, while Ursinus drops to 2–2.
COACH WHALEN'S COMMENTS
"I am extremely proud of our team. We made key defensive adjustments going into the second half to limit Ursinus' perimeter shooters, and the execution was spot on. Our players competed to win today and achieved that against an incredibly talented Ursinus team. The energy from our bench and the way our girls continue to support one another is special, and that contributes to overall success as well."
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST URSINUS
- Ursinus hit an early three to take a 3-0 lead. Olivia Ettorre responded with a three-pointer of her own as Immaculata tied the score 3-3.
- A few possessions later, Riley Cassidy connected from deep to give Immaculata an 8–5 edge.
- Emma Wagner got a steal and scored in transition to extend the lead to 16–10with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.
- The Bears, however, closed the gap, and Immaculata held a narrow 16–15 advantage after one.
- Ursinus controlled much of the second quarter, finding their rhythm and building a 32–24 lead with just under two minutes left.
- Immaculata responded as Sabrina Little buried a key three-pointer, and Ettorre added a long jumper to trim the deficit to 35–31 heading into halftime.
- Immaculata surged out of the break, starting the third quarter with a Cassidy three-pointer and back-to-back layups from Carly Coleman and Abby Grillo to reclaim a 39–35 lead.
- Late in the frame, Wagner, and Coleman each scored inside, helping keep the Mighty Macs within striking distance as they trailed 49–46 entering the fourth.
- Midway through the final quarter, Ettorre drove to the basket, finished through contact, and completed the three-point play to tie the game at 53–53 with 6:31 to play.
- Ettorre then drained a three off a pass from Coleman to put Immaculata in front 56–53.
- The Mighty Macs continued to execute down the stretch, getting a jumper from Meg Robbins and a driving layup by Cassidy to go up 60–57 with just over two minutes remaining.
- Clinging to a 61–58 lead in the final seconds, Coleman produced a decisive steal at the eight-second mark and pushed the ball ahead to Robbins, who was fouled.
- Robbins calmly knocked down both free throws, sealing a 63–58 victory for Immaculata.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Olivia Ettorre led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 7-14 from the field, 4-6 from beyond the arc, with three rebounds, and a steal.
- Abby Grillo scored 12 points, with five rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.
- Carly Coleman scored 10 points, with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, and one steal.
- Riley Cassidy scored eight points, with three rebounds, and a steal.
- Meg Robbins scored five points, with five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
- Emma Wagner scored four points and had a steal.
- For the game Immaculata was 22-52 (42.3%) from the field, 9-15 (60%) from beyond the arc, 10-13 (76.9%) from the stripe, with four second chance points, 20 points in the paint, 11 fast break points, 20 points off turnovers, and nine points off the bench.
UP NEXT
The Immaculata women's basketball team will be back in action on Wednesday, November 19, when they will host Arcadia at Alumnae Hall at 6 p.m.
