ARLINGTON, Va. – The Immaculata women's basketball team displayed poise down the stretch, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat Marymount 63-60 on the road on Wednesday night at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.
Olivia Ettorre led Immaculata, scoring 18 points, shooting 4-5 from beyond the arc while adding five assists and three steals.
Meg Robbins scored 10 points with eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
Riley Cassidy scored 10 points, and
Carly Coleman scored nine points, with eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots, and four steals.
With the victory, Immaculata improves to 21-3 overall and is 13-0 in Atlantic East Conference play, while Marymount falls to 12-12 overall and 9-4 in Atlantic East Conference play.
COACH WHALEN'S COMMENTS
"This was a huge win on the road for us against a tough Marymount team," said Head Coach
Brittany Whalen. "They were physical and challenged us throughout the entire game. Our players showed resiliency until the final buzzer and made some incredible plays when we needed people to step up. I am so proud of the fight we showed through the adversity."
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST MARYMOUNT
- Immaculata weathered an early surge from Marymount as the teams traded runs in the first quarter. Abby Grillo knocked down an early three to spark the offense, and Meg Robbins controlled the glass with multiple early rebounds. Immaculata built a five-point edge midway through the frame, but Marymount closed on a late run to take a 14-12 lead after one.
- Marymount stretched its lead to as many as nine midway through the second quarter, capitalizing on transition opportunities. Immaculata stayed composed. Olivia Ettorre ignited the comeback with back-to-back three-pointers, and Adriana Bristow provided an immediate spark off the bench with a layup in her lone minute of action. Riley Cassidy drilled a three with 44 seconds left to tie the game at 29-29 before Marymount scored in the closing seconds to take a narrow 31-29 advantage into halftime.
- The third quarter was defined by defense. Carly Coleman took control of the inside, scoring twice early to give the Macs the lead. Ettorre added a mid-range jumper to extend the advantage to four. Marymount answered with second-chance points and free throws, edging back in front late in the quarter. Despite forcing multiple turnovers, Immaculata trailed 44-41 entering the final frame. Coleman and Robbins had blocks, and Ettorre hit a late three-pointer to keep the Macs within striking distance.
- Immaculata was able to deliver when it mattered most, outscoring Marymount 22-16 in the fourth quarter. Ettorre opened the quarter with a game-tying three, and Robbins scored twice in the paint to keep pace during a stretch of seven lead changes. Trailing 58-56 with just over a minute to play, Cassidy buried a clutch fast-break three-pointer to give the Macs a 59-58 edge. On the next possessions, Coleman stepped to the line and calmly converted three free throws in the final 17 seconds. The defense sealed it, forcing two turnovers in the closing seconds to preserve the 63-60 road victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Olivia Ettorre - 18 points, 4-5 from three, five assists, three steals.
- Meg Robbins - Ten points, eight rebounds (four offensive).
- Riley Cassidy - Ten points, including the clutch go-ahead three.
- Carly Coleman - Nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, four steals.
- Abby Grillo - Nine points, four rebounds, three steals (including one in the final seconds).
UP NEXT
The Immaculata women's basketball team will be back on the road on Saturday, when they travel to play at Pratt Institute for their Atlantic East Conference regular-season finale at 3 p.m.
