ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team edged Bryn Athyn College for a 50-48 victory in a United East Conference game at Lees Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The Lions doubled up the Falcons, 8-4, in the early stages of the first quarter and later stretched its margin to eight, 12-4, following a 6-0 run. A pair of free throws from sophomore Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) trimmed the Cedar Crest deficit to six, 12-6, at the end of the opening stanza.

Bryn Athyn pushed its lead to as many as nine, 20-11, in the second quarter, but the Falcons responded with a 9-0 run, capped off by a free throw from senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) with 4:09 on the clock to knot the score at 20. The remainder of the frame stayed tight and ended with the Lions having a 26-24 advantage at the break.

With the game tied at 33 at the 4:16 mark of the third period, Cedar Crest would create a little separation with a 4-0 mini-run to go up, 37-33, and entered the fourth with a two-point lead, 37-35.

The Falcons would hold onto until the Lions deadlocked the score at 44 with 5:16 to play in regulation. Bryn Athyn jumped into the lead 46-44 following a pair of free throws by junior Alexa Osafo-Mensah (Charles Town, W. Va.) and then Cedar Crest re-gained the advantage on a triple by senior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)), 47-46 with 1:24 left in the game. The Lions snagged a one-point lead with 1:24 to play, but three clutch free throws by first-year Maliya Gonzalez (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) iced the win for the Falcons, 50-48.

For Cedar Crest, Bilger collected 14 points, five rebounds, and one steal. Long also had 14 points to go along with five boards, three assists, and four steals. Gonzalez followed with 12 points, one carom, six assists, and four steals. Rivera chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists to close out the scoring.

Cedar Crest (6-6 overall, 4-5 United East) stays at home to host St. Mary's College of Maryland on Saturday, January 25 at 1:00 p.m. Bryn Athyn (13-5 overall, 6-3 United East) returns home to face off against Penn State Brandywine on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.