HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team opened its 2023-24 season with a 64-42 loss to Centenary University at the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center on Thursday night.

The Cyclones got out to a 17-0 lead before junior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) put the Falcons on the board with 3:32 left in the opening quarter to make the score 17-2. Centenary knocked down a free throw and a jumper while sophomore Jordan McGhee (Copperas Cove, Texas/Copperas Cove) converted a free throw as the first frame ended with the home team up by 17, 20-3.

Centenary led by as many as 29 in the second quarter after graduate student Carmen Escano (Passaic, N.J.) made two free throws with 2:22 to play, which made the score 37-8. Cedar Crest cut the deficit to 25 heading into the half following a pair of successful free throws from graduate student Nicole Sachman (Niles, Mich./Brandywine) with nine seconds to go as the score was 40-15 at the break.

The Falcons chipped away at the margin in the third quarter, going on an 8-0 run, which included a layup by junior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) and back-to-back threes by McGhee and Rivera to cut the lead to 21, 44-23 with 7:26 to play. The margin hung around the mid-20's before the Cyclones pushed it back to 28, 57-29, after a triple from junior McKayla Mooney (Lacey Township, N.J.) with one stanza to go.

Cedar Crest finished strong, outscoring Centenary 13-7 in the final quarter, as the game would end in the 22-point final, 64-42.

Junior Brie Opdyke (Belvidere, N.J.) led all scorers with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting to go along with three rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Sophomore Jasmine Sampong (Riverdale, N.J.) was the only other Cyclone in double-figures, tallying 12 points, three boards, and one steal.

Sachman was the lone Falcon with double-digit points, collecting 11 points and six rebounds. First-year Gwenyth Tsoukalas (North Port, Fla./North Port) chipped in nine points, three boards, and one steal. Rivera added eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Cedar Crest (0-1 overall) will welcome in Penn State Lehigh Valley for its home opener on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m. Centenary (1-0 overall) will return to action at King's College (Pa.) on Saturday, November 11 at 5:00 p.m.

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