ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Cedar Crest College basketball team handed Notre Dame of Maryland University its first conference loss with a 55-52 triumph over the Gators on Tuesday night at Lees Gymnasium. With the win, the Falcons snapped the NDMU's 14-game winning streak and defeated the Gators for the first time since the 2013-14 season. 

Notre Dame started quick, jumping out to an 11-2 lead following a three-pointer by junior Amaya Durham (Atlanta, Ga.) with 6:40 left in the opening quarter. Cedar Crest responded with a 6-0 run to cut the margin to three, 11-8 with 2:28 remaining. The Gators then finished the frame on a 4-0 spurt to hold a seven-point advantage at the end of one, 15-8. 

NDMU led by as many as nine in the second stanza and the Falcons got as close as four after a triple from sophomore Joran McGhee with 7:21 to play in the half to make the score, 19-15. The Gators pushed the margin back up to eight after a pair of free throws by senior Chantel Curry (Memphis, Tenn.), 25-17, and then Cedar Crest hit a free throw to cut the lead to seven at the half, 25-18. 

The Falcons erased the deficit as it started the third quarter on a 7-0 run to knot the score at 25. The spurt was capped off by a jumper by McGhee with 6:22 left on the clock. The rest of the period stayed tight with neither team leading by more than two. After the contest was tied at 30, the teams traded leads. The quarter ended with a layup by first-year Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) to to give the Falcons a one-point advantage with one quarter to play, 32-31. 

After the Gators opened the scoring in the fourth quarter to jump back in front, 33-32, Cedar Crest went on a 10-0 run to build a nine-point margin, 42-33. The run was finished off with a free throw by Long. NDMU answered back with a 7-0 run to cut the Falcons' margin to two, 42-40, with 2:35 to play in regulation. The Falcons then pushed its lead back up to six, 48-42, with 1:19 to go. A late charge from the Gators got themselves to within one, 53-52, after a three-pointer from junior Elena Rodriguez (Bel Air, Md.), but Long iced the game with a pair of free throws in the final seconds to hold off NDMU, 55-52. 

Long tallied a game-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds, and two steals to guide Cedar Crest. McGhee turned in 21 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and four steals. The 21 points ties her career-high. 

First-year Hillary Howard (Brandon, Miss.) paced Notre Dame with 16 points and four rebounds. Durham pitched in 12 points, six boards, one assist, two blocks, and two steals. Sophomore Alexis Jones (St. Petersburg, Fla.) collected 10 points, 13 caroms, two steals, and a block. 

Cedar Crest (8-9 overall, 7-7 United East-Skye Division) will stay at home and will play host to the University of Valley Forge on Saturday, February 3 at 1:00 p.m. Notre Dame of Maryland (15-5 overall, 12-1 United East-Skye Division) will head to Clarks Summit University on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. 

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