ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- The Cedar Crest College basketball team dropped an 81-72 decision to Saint Elizabeth University on Wednesay night in a United East Conference-Skye Division showdown at Lees Gymnasium.
The Falcons led by one with 7:16 remaining, but the Eagles used an 11-1 run to turn a 64-63 deficit into a 74-65 lead. Cedar Crest cut the margin to four, 75-71, with 2:03 to play in regulation, but Saint Elizabeth finished on a 6-1 run to close it out.
First-year
Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) finished with a season-high 37 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including converting 15 of her 20 free throws for the Falcons. She also added six rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Junior
Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) chpped in 11 points, four boards, two assists, and two steals.
Both teams battled in the opening quarter, finishing the frame tied 14-14. The Eagles created some separation in the second stanza with an 11-0 run to start the frame, which was finished off by a jumper from sophomore Ahjionae Cobbe (Landing, N.J.) with 6:22 to play to make the score 25-14. Back-to-back buckets by Long trimmed the deficit to seven, but a quick 8-2 spurt pushed the margin back to double digits, 33-20. The home team pulled to within seven and would enter the intermission down by nine, 39-30.
Just past the midway of the third quarter, back-to-back triples from Rivera helped erase the nine-point lead to just two, 50-48. Saint Elizabeth stayed in front for the remainder of the period and held a 58-53 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Cedar Crest began the last frame on a 7-0 run to put Cedar Crest ahead, 60-58. The teams then traded the lead over the next few minutes the margin was extended back up to nine, 74-65, with 4:40 remaining. The Falcons made the late charge, but the Eagles used the 6-1 run to capture the contest, 81-72.
Cedar Crest (9-10 overall, 8-8 United East-Skye Divsion) will next play at Bryn Athyn College on Saturday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m. Saint Elizabeth (18-4 overall, 13-2 United East-Skye Division) will host Clarks Summit University in its next game on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
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