HADDONFIELD, N.J. – No. 1 Immaculata and No. 3 Marywpood advance to the Atlantic East Championship game after semifinal victories.
No. 1 Immaculata defeated No. 5 Centenary after taking a first half lead of 29-22, before adding on 24 points in the third quarter and closing out with 15 in the fourth. No. 3 Marywood took a 41-29 lead into the half against No. 2 Marymount, before staving off a 26-10 fourth quarter push from the Saints.
Immaculata will host the Atlantic East Championship match which will be held at the on Saturday, February 28 at 2pm. The winner will earn the conference’s automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Championship.
#1 Immaculata 68, #5 Centenary 59 | BOX SCORE
Recap courtesy of Immaculata Sport Information Department.
IMMACULATA, Pa.- The Immaculata women's basketball team never trailed and used a dominant third quarter to defeat Centenary 68-59 in the Atlantic East Conference Semifinals on Wednesday evening at Alumnae Hall.
Four Mighty Macs finished in double figures, led by
Riley Cassidy, who poured in 16 points while knocking down four three-pointers.
Abby Grillo added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to register a double-double, while
Carly Coleman contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in a strong all-around effort. Immaculata shot 46.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range, including a scorching 80 percent from deep in the third quarter.
With the win, Immaculata (23-3, 14-0 AEC) advances to the Atlantic East Conference Championship game for the second consecutive season.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST CENTENARY
- Immaculata established control early and never relinquished the lead. After trading baskets in the opening minutes, Immaculata used defensive pressure and transition opportunities to build a nine-point advantage midway through the period. Strong interior defense, including multiple early blocks, limited Centenary's efficiency in the paint. Although the Cyclones generated second-chance opportunities, Immaculata held them to 4-of-19 shooting (21.1%) in the quarter to take a 14–10 lead into the second. Carly Colemanled Immaculata with six points and a pair of assists in the first quarter.
- Immaculata continued to dictate tempo in the second frame, stretching the lead to as many as eight points. Balanced scoring and solid ball movement created quality looks, while the defense forced key turnovers that led to transition points. Centenary made a brief push late in the quarter, but the Mighty Macs maintained composure and entered the locker room with a 29–21 advantage. Carly Colemantook an inbound pass from Sofia Kouridakis with 1.5 seconds remaining and hit a buzzer-beating jumper for the Mighty Macs. Through two quarters, Immaculata's defensive intensity set the foundation, holding the Cyclones under 20 percent shooting in the half.
- Immaculata delivered its most efficient stretch of the night, shooting 9-of-13 (69.2%) from the field and an impressive 4-of-5 (80%) from three-point range. Riley Cassidy hit three of her four three-pointers in the third quarter for Immaculata. Crisp passing and inside-out action led to multiple open perimeter looks as the Mighty Macs extended the lead to 18 points (53–35) heading into the fourth. Defensively, Immaculata limited Centenary's rhythm, contesting shots and protecting the rim to prevent any sustained rally.
- Centenary would not go quietly. Centenary mounted its strongest push in the final 10 minutes, attacking the paint and capitalizing at the free-throw line to cut the deficit to five with just over two minutes remaining. However, the Mighty Macs responded with poise. Timely defensive stops and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch preserved the advantage. Immaculata went 9-of-12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal the 68–59 victory. Abby Grillo hit four clutch free throws late in the game to help Immaculata close out the win.
UP NEXT
The Immaculata women's basketball team will host Marywood in the Atlantic East Conference Championship Game at Alumnae Hall on Saturday, February 28, at 2:00 p.m.
#3 Marywood 73, #2 Marymount 71 | BOX SCORE
Recap courtesy of Marywood Sport Information Department.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Marywood University reached a women's basketball conference tournament championship game for the first time in 42 years on Thursday. The third-seeded Pacers upset Marymount University 73-71 in the Atlantic East Conference semifinals.
Marywood will face top-seeded Immaculata University on Saturday in the Atlantic East final. The Pacers tip off against the Mighty Macs at 1 p.m. in East Whiteland Twp., Pa.
The Pacers defeated Marymount University for the first time in program history. The Pacers had previously been winless in 15 contests against the Saints.
The Saints erased a 20-point deficit against the Pacers for the third time this season with 90 seconds remaining. After Catie Kolwey's layup put the Saints ahead by one point, Marymount added to the lead when former All-American Chandler Eddleton made one of two free throws with just over a minute remaining.
Megan Cavoli drew a foul on a driving layup, connecting both free throws to even the score at 71-71 with 53 seconds left. On the other end, Alli Anstadt intercepted a pass. Anyah Ortiz gave the Pacers (14-12) a lead with a free throw with eight seconds remaining on the clock.
Eddleton's put-back layup rolled out of the basket's rim and into the hands of Kendel Card. After a quick foul, Card made a free throw to secure the victory.
Ortiz led the Pacers with 26 points, seven assists and three steals. She shot 11 of 20 from the field. It was a season-high production for Ortiz, earning her most points since a 28-point effort (versus Wilson) as a Keystone Giant in 2023-24.
Cavoli scored a career-high 23 points to complement seven assists. She had 19 points in the first three quarters alone, finishing the night with a 9 for 18 shooting performance.
Olivia Ciullo had a team-high seven rebounds.
Eddleton ended her career with 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Saints. Cara Vollmer (17) and Kaylah Barr (16) also reached double figures.
All three meetings between the Saints and Pacers were decided either in overtime or in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
Marywood used a 12-2 run to take a 39-27 lead on Anstadt's layup in the opening half. Cavoli's layup in the paint sent the Pacers to halftime with a 12-point lead.
The Pacers stretched their lead to 20 points for the third time against the Saints this season. Tamari Hubbard made a bucket in the paint to go ahead 54-34 with 4:05 left.
Marymount started the first five minutes of the fourth quarter on a 20-2 run, thanks to a defensive press. Kayla Barr's layup tied the game for the first time in the second half with 5:28 left. Anstadt quickly responded with a made layup off a Cavoli assist.
The Saints had the good fortune of a Kayla Barr 3-pointer at the top of the key to take a one-point lead with 3:08 to go.
Marywood shot 44.8 percent to the Saints' 48.4 percent mark. The Saints had a 44-33 advantage in rebounds. The Saints coughed the ball up 13 times to the Pacers' 17.
Coach Tara Macciocco reaches a conference final for the first time in her coaching career. Marywood had previously won the now-defunct Northeastern Pennsylvania Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NPWIAA) in 1983-84 and 1979-80.
The Pacers look to make their first NCAA Division III tournament appearance since 1986-87.
First Round
Tuesday, February 24th
#5 Centenary, 67 at #4 Neumann, 60
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Semifinals
Thursday, February 26th
#5 Centenary, 59 at
#1 Immaculata, 68
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#3 Marywood, 73 at #2 Marymount, 71
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Championship
Saturday, February 28th
#3 Marywood at #1 Immaculata, 2pm
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