GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA – The Cavaliers battled through eight lead changes, 11 ties and five minutes of overtime, but in the end, the Cabrini women's basketball team moved into first place in the Colonial States Athletic Conference with tonight's 75-71 at Gwynedd Mercy University.

The Blue and White improved to 5-0 in the conference and evened its overall record at 7-7.

Sophomore Nomi Washington led all scorers with a career high 23 points, including seven points in overtime, to go with a career high nine rebounds.

Freshman Erin Dodds continued her hot shooting with 20 points, hitting 4-7 from three point range, while junior Myonie Williamson paired 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots, while playing 43 of 45 minutes.  

Despite foul trouble, senior Renee Oliver secured 10 rebounds, her fourth consecutive game with double figure rebounds. Freshman Cassidy Gallagher controlled the Blue and White offense, posing a career best six assists.

After scoring the game's first four points, the Blue and White saw GMercyU respond with a 7-0 run late in the first quarter to build a 16-9 lead.

The Griffins pushed their lead to 22-13 in the early minutes of the second quarter when the Cavaliers made their comeback.  Cabrini tuned up the defense and grabbed control of the action with an 18-4 run.

GMercyU hit just one of its next 12 field goal attempts, as the Cavaliers built a 31-26 lead on Williamson's lay-up with 26 seconds left in the half.  A Griffins' lay-up in the final seconds of the quarter gave Cabrini a 31-28 lead at the half.

Cabrini maintained its cushion for much of the third quarter, pushing it to a game high seven points early in the frame.  A late Griffins' three pointer sliced the Cavaliers' lead to 48-46 in the final seconds of the quarter, but a pair of Gallagher free throws gave the Cavaliers a 50-46 advantage entering the final quarter.

GMercyU regained the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, as it opened the period on a 9-2 run.  With first place on the line, both teams kept the final period a one possession affair, with five ties.

The Griffins broke a 61-61 deadlock at the 2:19 mark, but the Cavaliers could not respond.  GMercyU had a chance to seal the game, but missed a jumper after a Cabrini turnover in the final minute of regulation.

A Blue and White defensive rebound gave head coach Kate Pearson a chance to set up a play.  Dodds missed a late three pointer but Oliver's offensive rebound gave Washington a chance to tie the game with just 18 seconds on the clock.  The Griffins missed a three point attempt in the final seconds to send the game to overtime.

Washington gave the Cavaliers a nearly cushion in the extra period, scoring the first seven points of overtime, as Cabrini built a 70-63 lead with 2:48 on the clock.  The Griffins scored the next six points, but a missed free throw with 65 seconds to play allowed Cabrini to maintain a slim one point lead.

A Williamson lay-up pushed the lead to 72-69.  The Griffins responded with a jumper in the paint, but Cabrini's defense forced turnovers on GMercyU's next two possessions.  Offensively, Dodds and freshman Meghan Matthews went 3-4 at the free throw line to seal the win.

Bianca Adams led three Griffins (5-7, 4-1 CSAC) in double figures with 18 points, while Nicole Dombrowski paired 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Cabrini will look for its fourth consecutive win on Wednesday, when they visit Notre Dame of Maryland University (4-7, 2-3 CSAC). Game time is slated for 7pm in Baltimore, MD.