GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa., (January 11, 2012) – The Cyclones dropped a Colonial States Athletic Conference game (CSAC) to the Gwynedd-Mercy Griffins despite receiving double digit point totals from five players. Centenary fought until the final whistle, yet were outlasted by the Griffins, 84-71 in a game played closer then the eventual 13 point difference.

Centenary jumped on the scoreboard first using a basket by freshman Andrea Innis (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus), then taking a 4-0 lead shortly after on a made jump shot by junior Danielle Trucksess (Collingswood, N.J./Collingswood).  After a basket by Gwynedd-Mercy, Trucksess, who would finish the game with a team high 19 points, hit again to put the Cyclones up 6-2. The lead would not last long however, as the Griffins, behind strong shooting, would tie the game at six.

Centenary and Gwynedd-Mercy would trade leads for the early portion of the first half, until the score would rest tied at 18 just under eight minutes into the half. The Griffins would go up by five points, two separate times before Innis would deliver a game-tying basket with 4:18 remaining in the half, knotting the score at 30. Gwynedd-Mercy would push ahead again however and eventually take a seven point lead at the half.

The Cyclones would begin the second half in similar fashion to the first, scoring the first four points on baskets by Trucksess and senior Bridget McCann (Keyport, N.J./Keyport), closing the score to 42-39. Centenary would get as close as 43-41 on a basket by senior Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) before watching the Griffins expand the lead methodically. The Griffins worked the lead up to seven points as McCann continued to keep the Cyclones close. McCann, who would finish with ten points, poured in eight of her ten in the second half.

McCann was not the only Cyclone who heated up in the second half, as senior Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) who netted only two points in the first half, but who had brought down seven rebounds, began driving to the basket midway through the half. Ally converted two important free throws midway through the second half keeping the deficit at six.

The Griffins would use a 7-0 run as the game fell under eight minutes remaining to increase their lead to 13 points, a lead the Cyclones would cut into, but not catch. Centenary fought hard in the closing minutes, getting a three point basket from Trucksess and five points in three seconds by Ally who would finish with a double-double (12 pts, 12 reb), but it was too little, too late as the Griffins converted free throw opportunities down the stretch to seal an 84-71 victory.

With the loss, Centenary drops to 9-5 on the season and 3-3 in the CSAC, placing them in third place in the CSAC North Division. The Cyclones will next host Baptist Bible College, the team directly ahead of Centenary in the CSAC North, on Monday, January 16th at 6 pm.