ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's basketball team will host Immaculata University in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship game Saturday afternoon at the Mirenda Center. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 pm
Coming off a 65-48 semifinal win over Gwynedd-Mercy, the Knights looks to take home its second straight CSAC title. In the semifinals, the Knights were led by senior Katie Young, who pulled in her 24th double-double of the season with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Sami Borcky and Krista DiRomualdo also reached double figures in scoring with 13 and 11 points respectively.
Mighty Macs, who earned the No. 3 seed in the CSAC playoffs, defeated the No. 2 seeded Marywood University Pacers, 78-64, in the semifinals. In the CSAC First Round, Immaculata beat No. 6 Centenary College 87-59.
This season, Neumann swept the season series against Immaculata, with both games closely contested. Back in November, the Knights picked up a 58-55 home victory over the Mighty Macs to open conference play. Young picked up 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Neumann received some clutch three-point shooting from Erica Marvel down the stretch. Marvel finished with 15 points, while Kieran Young and Bethany Humenik both hit double digits in rebounds, with 11 and 10 respectively.
The second Neumann vs. Immaculata matchup proved to be just as close as the first contest. In a game played earlier this month, the Knights again pulled out a close three point win, 68-65 over the Mighty Macs. Four Knights hit double figures in scoring in the game, including Young and Humenik, who also registered double-doubles. Marvel pitched in 12 points and Borcky added 10.
For the season, the Knights have counted on CSAC Player of the Year Young. The senior has averaged 16.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game this season and is also second in the nation in double-doubles, registering 24 in the 26 games played. Fellow senior DiRomualdo and sophomore Humenik have also been key performers for the Knights. DiRomualdo has averaged 10 points per game, while Humenik has chipped in with 8.8 per game. Young has also played a vital role for Neumann, starting in all 26 games the team has played.
The Mighty Macs are led by forward Chelsea McTigue. The senior has averaged 16.2 points per game this year for Immaculata, while also adding 6.3 rebounds per game. Chrissy Esbensen is also a key contributor to the Mighty Mac offense, averaging 12.7 points per game. Leah Kuczynski leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7 per game.
The winner of Saturday afternoon's CSAC Championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Seedings for the tournament will be announced Monday February 28th.
Tickets for the game will be available at the door. General admission is $5 while children under 12 and students with ID are $3.
