Cheering roared through the crowd as the Lady Cavs raced up and down the court. The women’s team faced the Immaculata Might Macs on Wednesday, Dec. 5, and dominated the floor in a 73-52 win over Immaculata at the Nerney Field House.
The Lady Cavs fell behind early, 6-2, before holding the Mighty Macs without a basket for eight minutes. By the end of the first half, the Lady Cavs had a 35-19 lead.
The attack just continued in the second half, as the Lady Cavs pulled away to easily beat the Mighty Macs for their second straight win to open the CSAC schedule.
Sophomore Amber Keys commanded the court, grabbing 11 rebounds – including eight on the offensive end – and adding a career-high 20 points for her second double-double of the season.
“Everything goes through my mind before a game,” Keys said. “I think about how well I want to play, how I want my team to win, just everything.”
The Might Macs were ahead in the beginning but that streak soon ended when junior guard Brittany Sandone hit a lay-up which pushed the Cavs into a 19-4 run over a 10-minute period. By the end of the first half, the Lady Cavs had a strong lead due in large part to 14 Immaculata turnovers and 15 first-half points off turnovers.
“We got defensive stops, and moved the ball well on the offensive end,” senior guard/forward Laura Caron said.
Cabrini continued their winning streak after the break with a score of 57-30. The Lady Cavs offense slowed down and the Might Macs were able to cut into the lead with an 18-4 run. With only 90 seconds left on the clock, sophomore forward Megan Decker grabbed a rebound and putback to pushing Cabrini into the lead with 21 points.
The Lady Cavs played strong throughout the second half outscoring the Might Macs 21-12 and outrebounding 17-11. Decker had a solid game totaling 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Annie Rivituso added five boards and three steals to her season high of 11 points.
“This was a big game for us because Immaculata beat us twice last season,” Caron said. “They were picked over us in the preseason polls, so we had to go out there and make a statement.”
This makes it their second win in the Colonial State Athletic Conference. The Lady Cavs will return to the court again in their third conference on Saturday, Dec. 8, when they travel to Clarks Summit, Pa., where they will face the Baptist Bible College Defenders.
“We need to work on finishing layups and foul shots,” Caron said. “Those are our two biggest things.”
This is what the team will be focusing on in their next practices.
“I am very proud of our team” Keys said. “We played well, and we came into the game knowing what we had to do and what had to be executed.”
Jennarose DiGiacomo
Cabrini College '15,
Lifestyles Editor
Creator and Host of the show Bless Your Heart
