GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College basketball team lost to Elizabethtown College, 68-49, on Saturday in the consolation game of the Gwynedd Mercy University Tip-Off Tournament.
The Falcons' offense stalled for more than five minutes in the first quarter, going scoreless from senior
Samora Merchant's (Danbury, Conn./Henry Abbott Technical) free throws at 6:31 until junior
Ginger Kerdock (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) hit two at 1:19. Cedar Crest forced four straight Blue Jays' turnovers during that stretch but could not convert them into points. Elizabethtown closed the quarter ahead 17-10.
In the second quarter, the Falcons answered the Blue Jays' 26-13 advantage with a perimeter burst, getting three-pointers from sophomore
Gabrielle Moore (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley), junior
Ella Bincarosky (Coopersburg, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and Kerdock to move the score to 32-26 with 4:25 left. Bincarosky added a layup late, and Cedar Crest matched Elizabethtown 18-18 in the quarter while entering halftime down 35-28.
The Falcons were held to 2-of-16 shooting and committed seven turnovers in the third quarter as the Blue Jays built on their lead. Cedar Crest created second chances midway through the quarter, with senior
Analyse Rios (Orlando, Fla./Timber Creek) grabbing multiple offensive rebounds before finishing a layup that made it 37-33 with 5:23 left. First-year
Serenity Shipman (Syracuse, N.Y./Timber Creek) later hit the Falcons' only triple, but Elizabethtown closed the quarter ahead 51-38.
In the fourth quarter, Cedar Crest struggled to sustain offense, shooting 4-for-18 as the Blue Jays pushed their lead to 66-46 with 3:16 remaining. Kerdock scored the Falcons' first five points of the quarter, and Rios added a late free throw and layup during a stretch in which the Falcons forced four straight Elizabethtown turnovers. The Blue Jays closed out a 68-49 win.
For Cedar Crest, Kerdock scored a team-high 16 points, went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, and added two steals. Merchant finished with eight points and seven rebounds while converting all six free throws and adding two blocks. Rios recorded seven points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Moore added seven points, five rebounds and two steals, making two 3-pointers.
For Elizabethtown, junior Kiley Wilhelm (Bel Air, Md.) scored 18 points, collected nine rebounds, and added three steals. Junior Ava Chapman (Mount Carmel, Pa.) finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Sophomore Molly Kimmel (Carlisle, Pa.) recorded 10 points, seven assists, seven steals, and two blocks. Junior Cadence Anderson (Riverton, N.J.) posted 11 rebounds, nine points, and three steals.
Cedar Crest (0-2 overall) will next host John Jay College in its home opener on Wednesday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m. Elizabethtown (1-1 overall) hosts Messiah University for its next contest on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
