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RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini College women's basketball team made its reservation for the program's eighth appearance in the Colonial States Athletic Conference championship game with tonight's 72-62 win over the Keystone College Giants.  The victory improves the Blue and White to 23-3, tied with the 2008-09 team with the second most wins in program history. The win also extends the Cavaliers' win streak to 18 games, matching the 1995-96 team for the longest streak in program history.

The Cavaliers will host the defending CSAC champion Gwynedd-Mercy College Griffins on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in the title tilt. This will be the fifth time the two rivals have met in the conference championship game, with Cabrini taking three of the titles.  Most recently, the Blue and White captured the 2009 crown with a 78-67 win in the final of three consecutive Cabrini – Gwynedd-Mercy championship meetings.

Four Cavaliers surpassed the 10 point mark in the victory, led by junior Brittany Sandone's 15 points.   Fellow juniors Colleen Stewart and Annie Rivituso added 14 points each, while sophomore Amber Keys tallied 11 off the bench.

The teams played back and forth in an opening 20 minutes that featured six ties and four lead changes.  The Giants built their largest lead of the night at 9-4 just over six minutes into the action but the Cavaliers responded as Stewart found Keys for a lay-up, tying the score at 11.   Cabrini grabbed a slim lead but couldn't pull away, but a Keys' bucket with 8:05 to play before halftime broke a 21-21 deadlock and gave the Cavaliers a lead they would not relinquish.

A pair of Rivituso free throws built Cabrini's lead to 32-24 but Keystone responded with a 10-2 run over a five minute period late in the half.  Sophomore Megan Decker found Sandone for a three with 44 seconds on the clock that sent Cabrini into the break with a 37-34 advantage.

The Cavaliers emerged from the locker room with a renewed focus as it immediately grew the lead to 43-34 2:38 into the second half.  A Keys offensive board led to a three pointer by freshman Dana Peterson, giving the Blue and White an 11 point cushion with 12:20 to play. While Keystone continued to fight back, every time it got close, Cabrini had a big shot.  

Keystone got as close as four points on three occasions in the second half but on the next possession, the Blue and White answered with buckets by Stewart, Sandone and Rivituso.  The Cavaliers iced the game at the free throw line, connecting on 7-8 in the game's final 44 seconds.

The Cavaliers held Keystone to just 34.4% shooting from the floor, including 6-22 from three point range.  Cabrini also did a much better job after the break in keeping the Giants off the free throw line.  After hitting 11-14 in the first half, Keystone appeared at the stripe just twice in the second half.  

The Blue and White also dominated the glass, to the tune of a 47-29 advantage.  Keys grabbed a game high nine boards, while Stewart and Sandone secured eight caroms, apiece.  

Sophomore Jazmyn Robinson led the Giants (18-9) with 22 points, including 14 in the second half.  Fellow sophomores Chantel Blake and Ashley Evans added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Second seeded Gwynedd-Mercy (18-8) advanced to Saturday's title game with a 68-56 home win over Marywood University.  The teams played a close game for the first 30 minutes of action but a Griffins three pointer sent the club on a 9-0 run with nine minutes to play.  Another Gwynedd-Mercy trey extended its lead to doble figures with 3:24 on the clock, before the Griffins sealed the win from the charity stripe.  

Junior Nicole Dougherty led the Griffins with a game high 16 points, while junior Jordan Dominic added 14 points.  Sophomore Shea Wassel just missed a double-double with 13 points and game high nine boards.

The Cavaliers captured a pair of wins over Gwynedd-Mercy for the first time since the 1996-97 season.  The Blue and White secured an 82-55 road win on January 16 before topping the Griffins 79-55 at Nerney Field House on February 6.

The winner of Saturday's championship game will also receive the CSAC's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Tournament.