GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd-Mercy will get a chance to defend its CSAC Championship as the Griffins advanced to the title game with a 68-56 semifinal win over Marywood Wednesday night.
The second-seeded Griffins (18-8) will play at top-seeded Cabrini on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the championship and an NCAA Tournament bid.
Junior Nicole Dougherty led GM with 16 points and five assists, both game highs. Jordan Dominic added 14 and Shea Wassel chipped in 13 as GM did not need extra time to knock the Pacers out of the playoffs for the second-straight year. Last season, the Griffins outlasted Marywood in a memorable 82-78 double overtime win.
Gwynedd pulled away in the second half, using an 18-for-20 clip at the free throw line, and a key 8-0 run late in the contest to stretch a lead into double digits.
Maggie Presnal had 14 points for the fifth-seeded Pacers (15-12). Danielle Terranella and Morgann Haduck each had 11 respectively. Terranella added a game-high 12 rebounds while Haduck hit all three of Marywood's three-pointers. Presnal also chipped in eight boards, three blocks, and three steals.
The Griffins started the game hot, racing out to an 8-0 lead, but would only score on field goal over the next five minutes as the Pacers were able climb back and tie it at 11-11. Later on Haduck would hit from downtown to give Marywood its largest lead (23-17) of the stanza with under seven minutes before the half. But back came the Griffins, as Dominic's three-pointer capped a 7-1 spurt and the team's were tied again (24-24). GM would take a 28-27 lead into the break.
Again, Gwynedd started off strong in the second, scoring on buckets from Lauren Smith and Dominic, but like the first half, the Pacers were able rally back to tie the game.
Trailing 41-40 with less than nine minutes to go, Dominic drained one of her three treys, to help Gwynedd start a 9-0 run. With 4:23 to go, Marywood's Lindsay Schroth completed a three-point play to pull the Pacers within four (51-47).
Dougherty would help put the game out of reach as her three-pointer gave GM a double-figure lead with 3:24 left. The Griffins were able to go 7-of-8 at the line down the stretch to help ice the victory.
Gwynedd shot exactly 40% (20-of-50) for the game, while holding the Pacers to 25% in the second (1-for-12 from downtown). Marywood did outrebound the Griffins, 39-33. GM hit on 23-of-27 attempts at the free-throw line compared to a 13-for-22 stint for the Pacers.
It will be the 15th time Gwynedd will play for a conference championship under 18th-year head coach Keith Mondillo.