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GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – The Cabrini women's basketball team made a statement Monday night, capturing a convincing 60-38 win at Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) rival Gwynedd-Mercy College. The victory improves the Cavaliers CSAC record to a perfect 8-0.
The win is also Cabrini's second straight against the Griffins, dating back to last season's conference final game. The Blue & Gray advanced to the NCAA Tournament on the heels of a 74-72 triumph versus Gwynedd-Mercy.
Junior point guard Deana DiAmico led all scorers with 14 points, scoring 12 in the second half. She shot 3-for-6 from the field and 6-for-7 from the foul line. Senior forward Kayleen Smith totaled 13 points and seven rebounds.
Junior shooting guard Alyssa Brady paired nine points with six rebounds. Senior forward Brittany McLeod mixed six points with a game-high nine rebounds.
The 38 points surrendered by the Cavaliers is the team's best defensive performance since allowing just 32 points at Philadelphia Biblical University December 2. The Griffins entered the contest ranked second in the league, averaging 72.4 points an outing.
The Cavaliers led 31-18 at the break, sprinting to a 12-0 lead off the opening tip. Smith sparked the spurt with a three-point field goal on Cabrini's first possession and a driving lay-in on its next. She capped the run with a mid-range jumper.
After Gwynedd-Mercy scored its first basket of the game nearly four minutes after the first whistle, senior guard Kate Ryan canned a triple on her first touch from coming off the bench. The Blue & Gray led 19-7 after a fast-break ended with a stop-and-pop jumper from junior guard Kate Walck.
The Griffins climbed to within seven points, 19-12, after one free throw from junior guard Erica Fulforth. However, Cabrini out-scored the hosts 12-8 in the final minutes. The Cavaliers secured its largest lead of the opening period, 31-16, following two free throws from DiAmico.
Gwynedd-Mercy opened the second half on an 8-2 run, forcing first-year Cabrini head coach Bernadette Laukaitis into a full timeout. The Griffins pulled to within six points, 36-30, following a free throw from senior guard Kristy Cramp.
DiAmico answered, triggering a personal 8-0 spurt that re-asserted a 44-30 Cabrini advantage. DiAmico knocked down back-to-back three-point field goals before draining an elbow jumper on a fast break.
DiAmico's spark resulted in a 17-4 run for the Blue & Gray, supplying the visitors with a commanding 53-34 cushion with four minutes remaining. The Cabrini lead ballooned to a then-game-high 22 points after senior guard Nikki Duggan splashed a three-ball from the top of the key with just over a minute remaining.
Gwynedd-Mercy followed up a 5-for-29 (17.2%) shooting performance in the first half with an 8-for-33 (24.2%) showing in the closing period. The hosts made just 3-of-12 free tries in the second half, as well.
Junior forward Jackie Dooley led the Griffins with 12 points. Junior guard Kate Wisniewski added 10 points.
The victory is the Cavaliers' fifth in five attempts on the road this season.
Cabrini (13-3, 8-0) resumes CSAC play Thursday, January 29 at home versus Rosemont College. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
