LA PLUME, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team dropped a 58-45 decision to Keystone College on Tuesday night in a United East Conference showdown at Ace Spalding Arena.

After an opening basket by the Falcons, the Giants responded with five straight points and would later lead 7-4 after a jump shot from senior Malaysia Bryant (Harlem, N.Y.). Cedar Crest replied with a 6-1 run to pull in front, 10-8, with 3:44 remaining in the first quarter. The home team came back with five consecutive points to make the score, 13-10, but a buzzer-beating jumper from sophomore Megan Perrine (Mount Vision, N.Y./Gilbertsville-Mount Upton) trimmed the Keystone margin to one, 13-12 at the end of the opening stanza.

Nearly halfway through the second frame after the Giants were up 20-16, the Falcons answered with four straight points to knot the score at 20. Keystone then finished on a 9-2 run to enter the locker room with a 29-22 advantage.

The Giants pushed its margin to 12, 34-22, following a 5-0 run to open the third period. The Falcons cut the deficit in half with a 6-0 spurt, finished off by a layup from sophomore Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) with 6:05 left on the clock to make the score 34-28. Keystone then broke the game open with a 17-2 run to extend its lead to 21, 51-30 at the end of three quarters.

Cedar Crest outscored the Giants 15-7 in the final quarter and were able to cut the deficit to 13 as the contest ended with the 58-45 score.

Long paced the Falcons with 17 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and six steals. Senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) tallied 14 points, six boards, two assists, two steals, and a block. Perrine added six points, three rebounds, one assist, and three blocks. First-year Maliya Gonzalez (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) collected five points, four caroms, and four assists. Senior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) closed out the box score with three points, five rebounds, one assist, and three steals.

Bryant led Keystone with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Sophomroe Anyah Ortiz (Reading, Pa.) was the only other Giant with double-digit points, registering 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and six steals.

Cedar Crest (5-5 overall, 3-4 United East) will remain on the road for a conference contest at Penn College on Saturday, January 18 at 1:00 p.m. Keystone (10-6 overall, 4-3 overall) begins a two-game road trip, beginning at Penn State Brandywine on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.