ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team was defeated by visiting Notre Dame of Maryland University, 55-48, in a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) contest on Thursday night at Lees Gymnasium.

The Gators opened the game with four straight points. NDMU led by as many as five in the opening quarter, but a 6-0 run late in frame gave the Falcons a 14-12 advantage at the end of one.

The visitors regained the lead in the second frame and led by as many as six following a layup from junior Ayana Brim (Baltimore, Md.) to make the score 24-18 with 2:48 remaining. Cedar Crest answered back with six straight points to knot it at 24 with 1:16 to go. Brim scored the final basket in the half on a layup to send NDMU into the locker room with a 26-24 lead.

The Gators pushed the margin to as many as nine in the third quarter after a basket from Brim to make it 35-26 with 7:46 remaining. The lead stayed at least five points until the conclusion of the third as NDMU started the final frame with 41-34 advantage.

The Falcons fought back to pull within four points in the final stanza (44-40) after a jumper from junior Ashley Wilson (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) with 4:34 to go, but that was as close as they would get for the remainder of the contest. The Gators stretched their lead to as many as nine in the final minutes before the game ended in the 55-48 final.

Two Falcons reached double-digits in points, led for the sixth-consecutive game by Wilson, who netted a game-high 24 points to go along with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Classmate Kelly Reid (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) joined Wilson in double-figures with 11 points, six boards, three assists, and two steals. Freshman Francess Suah (Philadelphia, Pa./Constitution ) collected 10 rebounds while adding six points, and one assist. Freshman Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) also corralled 10 boards and pitched in five points, three assists, three steals, and a block. Sophomore Morgan Ritchie (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) closed out the scoring with two points to go along with one rebound, three assists, and a steal.  

Senior Daija Fitchett (Baltimore, Md.) paced the Gators with a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds while Brim accompanied Fitchett in double-digits with 15 points and seven boards.

Cedar Crest (1-5 overall, 0-3 CSAC) begin a three-game road trip on Saturday, December 4 when they travel to Rosemont College for a 1:00 p.m. start. NDMU (3-4 overall, 3-1 CSAC) returns to action on Monday, December 6 with a road contest at Hood College, which is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.

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