ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College basketball team took down Cairn University by a score of 64-55 in a United East Conference tilt at Lees Gymnasium on Thursday night.

The Falcons held a 6-3 lead in the early stages of the game, but the Highlanders responded with a 7-2 run, finished off by a jumper from sophomore Dezaray Bright (Keystone Heights, Fla.) with 4:27 on the clock to give Cairn the 10-8 advantage. Back-to-back by first-year Maliya Gonzalez (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) gave Cedar Crest the lead back, 12-10, with 3:33 remaining in the quarter. After the Falcons made the score 14-11, Cairn went onto score four straight points to hold a 15-14 lead after one.

The Highlanders built a six-point margin in the opening minutes of the second quarter, 22-16, after a 7-2 run. Cedar Crest then finished the stanza on a 17-4 run to go into the locker room with a seven-point lead, 33-26.

The Falcons stretched its margin to as many as 15 following a layup from sophomore Caylie Long (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove) to make the score 45-30 with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter. Cairn then concluded the frame on an 8-2 spurt to cut the deficit to just nine, 47-38, with 10 minutes to play.

The lead ballooned back up to 15 after Cedar Crest doubled up the Highlanders, 12-6, in the first five minutes of the final frame to extend the score to 59-44. Cairn made a late charge, but the Falcons closed out the contest with the nine-point win, 64-55.

Cedar Crest shot 39.4 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from distance in the game. The Falcons converted 26 points off turnovers.

Long turned in a team-high 24 points on 9-for-22 shooting to go with eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Senior Bryanna Rivera (Reading, Pa./Greenfield (Mass.)) chipped in 14 points, four boards, one assist, and three steals. Senior Rachel Bilger (Philadelphia, Pa./Upper Dublin) added nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. First-year Emily Matoushek (Waymart, Pa./Forest City Regional) recorded a season-high seven points to go along with two rebounds, and one steal. Gonzalez registered six points, two caroms, eight assists, and three steals. Senior Francess Suah (Philadelphia, Pa./Constitution) tallied four points, five rebounds, one block, and one steal. Sophomore Megan Perrine (Mount Vision, N.Y./Gilbertsville-Mount Upton) collected two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

Senior Kailee Sobrino (Vail, Ariz.) notched a game-high 26 points and added four rebounds, eight assists, and five steals to pace the Highlanders.

Cedar Crest (8-10 overall, 6-9 United East) will conclude the regular season with a home game against Penn College on Saturday, February 15 at 1:00 p.m. Cairn (1-20 overall, 0-15 United East) will wrap up its season at Wilson College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.