LANGHORNE, Pa. – Behind four players in double figures, the Cedar Crest College basketball team earned a 72-57 win over Cairn University in a United East Conference matchup on Tuesday night at the Mason Activity Center.

The Falcons got out to a 5-2 lead and later led 7-4 following a layup from senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) with 6:09 on the clock. The Highlanders answered back with five consecutive points to grab a two-point advantage, 9-7. Cedar Crest then responded with a 6-0 spurt to re-gain the lead, 13-9, and would enter the second quarter up by four, 15-11.

After Cairn cut its deficit to 20-18 with 6:32 remaining in the second stanza, Cedar Crest would embark on a 9-3 run to push the margin to eight, 29-21, following a layup from sophomore Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove). The Highlanders netted back-to-back buckets in the final two minutes, but it was the Falcons that would enter the break with a six-point advantage, 31-25.

Cedar Crest came out of the locker room on a 10-2 run to stretch its margin to 14, 41-27, with 6:29 left. The Falcons pushed its lead to as many as 15 in the third quarter and entered the last frame with a 14-point lead, 51-37.

The Falcons remained in control for the remainder of the contest. Cairn made a late run, trimming the Cedar Crest margin to eight, 61-53, after a triple from junior Titiana Ipri (Mullica, N.J.) with four minutes remaining in regulation. The visitors shut the door on a comeback attempt with a 11-4 run to capture the 15-point win.

The Falcons shot 47.1 percent from the floor, including a 33.3 clip from three-point range, and 90.5 percent from the charity stripe. Cedar Crest also held the edge in points in the paint (20-12), fast break points (13-4), points off turnovers (16-11), and rebounding (33-30).

Long poured in a season-high 27 points on 10-for-11 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds, two assists, one block, and two steals. Senior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) chipped in 17 points, three boards, three assists, and a steal. Junior Kyleigh Monk (Havre de Grace, Md./John Carroll) registered 14 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Bilger collected 12 points, seven caroms, one assist, and one steal. Sophomore Megan Perrine (Mount Vision, N.Y./Gilbertsville-Mount Upton) closed out the visitor side of the box score with two points, nine rebounds, and one steal.

Sophomore Dezaray Bright (Keystone Heights, Fla.) paced the Highlanders with 20 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Ipri followed with 13 points, three boards, and one steal. Senior Kailee Sobrino (Vail, Ariz.) recorded 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Sophomore Emily Brittin (Winslow, N.J.) closed out the Cairn scoring with 12 points, 12 boards, six assists, and one steal.

Cedar Crest (2-4 overall, 1-3 United East) returns to the court on Thursday, December 12 at Trinity Washington University at 6:00 p.m. Cairn (1-9 overall, 0-4 United East) will next play at Penn State Abington on Saturday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m.