CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team collected a 67-42 victory over Clarks Summit University in its regular season finale on Wednesday night at Huckaby Gymnasium in a United East Conference-Skye Division contest.
The Falcons started quick, going on a 12-0 run to begin the game, finished off by a jumper by first-year
Megan Perrine (Mount Vision, N.Y./Gilbertsville-Mount Upton) with 6:15 remaining in the opening quarter. Cedar Crest led by as many as 13 in the frame, but the Lady Defenders closed on a 7-1 spurt to finish to cut the margin to seven, 18-11, at the end of one.
The contest remained close in the second stanza as Clarks Summit was able to trim its deficit to six, 22-16, following a pair of free throws by Kylee Miller with 8:28 remaining. The Falcons responded with back-to-back baskets to extend the margin back up to 11 after a layup from first-year
Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) with 6:15 to go. The margin hung between seven and 10 points for the remainder of the frame and Cedar Crest would enter the intermission with a 34-24 advantage.
Clarks Summit cut into the deficit in the third quarter, making the score 36-31 after a three-pointer from first-year Katelyn Lewis (Waymart, Pa.) with 7:02 on the clock. The Falcons responded with seven straight points to push the lead back to double digits, 43-31. Cedar Crest then closed with another 7-0 run to carry a 17-point lead into the final frame, 50-33.
The Falcons kept its foot on the gas in the fourth quarter and would eventually come away with the 25-point win, 67-42.
Junior
Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) turned in a season-high 23 points on 8-for-19 shooting (6-for-15 from three) to go along with five rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Long tallied 13 points, 10 boards, one assist, and one steal. Graduate student
Nicole Sachman (Niles, Mich./Brandywine) recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Sophomore Keilani Araniva (Bloomsburg, Pa.) was the lone CSU player in double figures, registering 11 points, six rebounds, one block, and one steal.
Cedar Crest (10-11 overall, 9-9 United East-Skye Division) has qualified for the United East Conference Championship Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will square off against No. 3 seed Bryn Athyn College on Saturday, February 17 in a Divisional First Round matchup. Clarks Summit University ends its season at 3-21 overall (2-16 United East-Skye Division).
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