ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team was tripped up by Wilson College in a 69-48 final in a United East Conference-Skye Division showdown on Saturday afternoon at Lees Gymnasium.

After the teams traded buckets to open the contest, the Phoenix went on a 12-1 run, finished off by a pair of free throws from junior Allie Cullison (Westminster, Md.) to make the score 14-3 with 3:23 left in the first quarter. The Falcons were able to get within single digits as first-year Gwenyth Tsoukalas (North Port, Fla./North Port) knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to eight (16-8) with 58 seconds remaining. Wilson hit three free throws in the final minute of the opening frame and would hold a 19-8 advantage at the end of one.

Cedar Crest started the second stanza on an 8-0 spurt to trim the margin to three, 19-16, following a layup from junior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) with 6:45 on the clock. A triple by junior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) pulled the Falcons to within two, 21-19, but the Phoenix closed on a 10-2 run to lead 31-21 at the half.

Wilson stretched its margin to as many as 17 in the third quarter and would enter the final frame with a 48-32 lead.

The Falcons were able to cut the deficit to as few as 16 in the last quarter, but the Phoenix extended it to 23 after a layup from sophomore Lae Black (Laurel, Md.) to push the score to 69-46. Graduate student Nicole Sachman (Niles, Mich./Brandywine) scored the final basket for Cedar Crest in the 69-48 final.

Sachman paced the Falcons with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Sophomore Jordan McGhee (Copperas Cove, Texas/Copperas Cove) finished with 12 points, four boards, two assists, and a steal. Bilger chipped in a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to go along with one assist and one steal.

First-year Mackenzie Caldwell-Degnon (Rockville, Md.) guided Wilson with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Cedar Crest (1-6 overall, 1-4 United East-Skye Division) will be off until after the New Year and will return to the court on Wednesday, January 3 at the University of Valley Forge. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. Wilson (3-6 overall, 3-1 United East-Skye Division) will next play at Mary Baldwin University on Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m.

For the latest on Cedar Crest Athletics, follow the Falcons via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!