NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Immaculata women's basketball battled on Saturday in a showdown with the Smith College Bears, but the Bears defended Immaculata's final possession to hold on for a 56-53 victory.
The Bears are ranked #5 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 preseason poll.
The Mighty Macs are 0-1 for the season. Their first AEC game will be on Saturday, Jan. 16 versus Gwynedd Mercy.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST SMITH
- After a few defensive possessions on both sides, Immaculata finally got on the board with a Lianna Adames triple. The Bears ended the quarter on an 10-2 run, interrupted by a Sabrina Little jumper. Both buckets were assisted by Abby Grillo. Smith led 15-9 after one.
- The Mighty Macs took advantage early in the second quarter. A 9-2 push, capped off by a Grillo three-pointer, gave them a slim 18-17 lead. Smith stole the lead back on a layup and did not relinquish it the rest of the half. Adames turned the deficit to four on a triple just under the one-minute mark. The home team was ahead 28-24 at halftime.
- Adames continued her hot shooting after the break, draining three triples in the quarter. The Mighty Macs utilized a 10-0 run to go up 37-30. Uta Nakamura scored the Bears' last six points of third set of 10 minutes, but Immaculata still led 40-37 through three.
- Smith cut into Immaculata's lead on an and-one layup and went ahead on a triple. Although the two sides went back-and-forth, Grillo's layup put the Smith advantage at 51-46. Consecutive buckets from Carly Coleman and Adames brought the margin even closer, and Meg Robbins tied it at 53 on a free throw. At 56-53 Smith, Immaculata had one more possession out of a timeout with under 10 seconds left. However, Adames' three-point heave was off-target. Smith won 56-53.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Adames led the Mighty Macs with 17 points on five triples.
- Coleman had a double-double of 10 points and a team-best 13 rebounds, and she added two blocks.
- Grillo dished out four assists alongside her 13 points.
- Immaculata shot 38.2% on field goals and 36% on three-pointers, compared to Smith's respective 34.5% and 31.3%.
UP NEXT
The Mighty Macs play either St. Lawrence or Hartford tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 8, depending on the outcome of the St. Lawrence-Hartford game on Saturday. The consolation game is at 2 p.m.; the championship is at 4 p.m.
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