ALLENTOWN, Pa.---The Cedar Crest College women's basketball team held their first Colonial States Athletic Conference game of the 2015-16 season in Lees Gymnasium against Immaculata where a late rally by the Falcons just fell short, 59-55, on Wednesday evening.

"I'm proud of the way the players worked hard until the final whistle," commented Head Coach Ty Taylor. "We kept the first quarter close only allowing Immaculata to take the lead at the end of the quarter as well as taking advantage of late mistakes to cut lead at the end. This was a good test in our opening conference game and look to build off of tonight as we take on Cairn on Saturday."

Both teams were held scoreless for three minutes before Immaculata scored the first two points of the night. Freshman guard Tenille Stewart (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) would hit a three to cut the lead within two as junior gurad Taylor Osley (Allentown, PA/Louis E. Dieruff High School) would follow up with a three pointer of her own to take the lead for the first time in the night. Sophomore Shemeca Thompson (Bridgeport, CT/Warren Harding) added another two points to put the Falcons up by three. The visitors would tie it up with a three and later three foul shots to take the lead 14-11 after the first quarter.

A late run in the fourth quarter for Cedar Crest started when senior forward Kayleigh Keggan (Blairstown, NJ/Belvidere) made a layup. On the next play Stewart hit a three  while Osley hit a free throw to bring the team within seven. Osley hit a three with three seconds left and with a turnover Stewart hit a buzzer beater three of her own for a final score of 59-55.

Stewart had a total of 18 points, three rebounds and four assists while Osley had 15 points two rebounds and one assist. Keggan had 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Freshman guard/forward Rianna Kinard (Clinton, MD/Surrattsville High) had a team high of seven steals, eight points, four assists and five rebounds while Thompson had a team high of 10 rebounds adding three points, one assist, block and steal on the night. Freshman forward Katherina Pierre (Middletown, NY /John S. Burke Catholic) had seven rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

The next game for the basketball team is on Saturday, December 5 at 1:00 p.m. at Cairn University in a Colonial States Athletic Conference match-up.