WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team had a late comeback bid fall short at Penn College in a 64-56 final in a United East Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Bardo Gymnasium.

The Falcons doubled up the Wildcats 8-4 in the early stages of the opening quarter. After Cedar Crest made it 10-6, Penn College responded with an 8-2 run to build a 14-12 advantage. A pair of free throws from first-year Maliya Gonzalez (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) in the latter stages of the frame tied the contest at 14 at the end of the stanza.

Penn College started the second quarter on an 11-4 run to extend its lead to seven, 25-18. The run was capped off by a layup from first-year Gigi Parlante (Williamsport, Pa.). The Falcons answered with a quick 7-0 spurt, finished off by a layup from sophomore Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) with 2:42 on the clock to knot the score at 25. The Wildcats then embarked on a 6-2 run to carry a four-point margin into the break, 31-27.

Cedar Crest outscored Penn College, 7-3, over the first 4:16 of the third quarter to tie the score at 34. The Wildcats then finished the frame on a 17-3 run to enter the final frame with a 14-point advantage, 51-37.

After the Wildcats held onto a 14-point lead (59-45) with 4:19 remaining in regulation, the Falcons would make one final push. Cedar Crest went on a 10-2 run to trim the deficit to just six, 61-55, with 1:25 left to play. Penn College went onto ice the game at the free throw line, converting three shots at the charity stripe to stretch the margin back to nine, 64-55, eventually finishing with the eight-point win, 64-56.

The Wildcats shot 43.3 percent from the floor compared to 40 percent for the Falcons.

Senior Emily Pardee (Williamsport, Pa.) led Penn College with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Parlante collected a double-double of 15 points and 13 boards, to go along with six assists, three steals, and one block. Senior Rachel Teats (Middleburg, Pa.) was the final Wildcat with double-digit points, collecting 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

Long registered a game-high 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) tallied 12 points and five boards. Gonzalez pitched in 10 points, five rebounds, and one steal. Senior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) supplied six points, one carom, 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, eight rebounds, and one block.

Cedar Crest (5-6 overall, 3-5 United East) returns home for a conference contest against Bryn Athyn College on Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. Penn College (11-7 overall, 8-1 United East) will begin a three-game road trip on Wednesday at Lancaster Bible College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.