nick stauffer/submitted photoComing off their first Pennsylvania Athletic Conference loss against Gwynedd Mercy University, the Cabrini College women’s basketball team defeated visiting Immaculata University 69-41.
“You are always afraid of an emotional let down after a big game like ours against Gwyneed Mercy. I did not think we were as intense as we should have been but we got it done,” Coach Bobbi Morgan said.
Junior Brittany McLeod led the team offensively with 16 points and five rebounds, while fellow juniors Kate Ryan and Kayleen Smith scored 14 and eight points.
“Every win from here on in is a big win. You are fighting for the playoffs, for seeds and you are trying to get better so you are playing your best when it matters most,” Morgan said.
Cabrini held Immaculata scoreless for the first four minutes of the game mixing their defensive sets from an intense man-to- man to pressing with a 2-2-1, a 1-2-1-1 and a run and jump set. At the half, the Cavaliers held a 40-17 lead with 14 points coming off Immaculata turnovers.
“For the first time this season we had a height advantage and were able to beat them up the floor,” Kayleen Smith, a junior English and communication major, said.
Immaculata came out strong in the second half scoring nine unanswered points before McLeod scored two of her 16 points in a dominating 8-of-12 performance from the field.
The Cavaliers held their largest lead, 69-39, with 1:54 left in the second half as the bench scored 20 points in the final 20 minutes.
Cabrini’s shooting percentage dropped from 58 percent in the first half to 34 percent in the second.
“We need to get to the foul line more as a team. In the Gwyneed Mercy game we took too many three’s (7-23) and we need to attack the basket more. We have a very balanced offense and in any given game our starters and even off the bench players can score,” Morgan said.
Immaculata improved their field goal percentage from 24 percent in the first half to 29 percent in the second. The Mighty Macs’ Nina Cammarano led Immaculata with a game-high 17 points.
Cabrini will return to the floor today for a re-match at Immaculata University.
With an overall record of 13-5 including an 8-1 record during conference play, Cabrini is now tied with Misericordia College for second place overall and first place in the PAC Southern Division.
“Our team is trying to continue the rest of the season with one loss in hopes to play Gwynedd Mercy, the only undefeated team, in the PAC Championships,” Smith said.
“It’s been a good season. What better than to finish this off with a strong regular season and a playoff berth? If we play well-and that’s the key- we can beat every team we play. But we aren’t good enough not to play well and win and that is what happened against Gwynedd Mercy,” Morgan said.
