GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- MVP Chandler DiFebbo scored a game-high 17 points to help lead Gwynedd Mercy to a 73-69 win over William Paterson in the championship game of the 2015 Tip-Off Tournament Saturday afternoon.

The Griffins (2-0) had to hold off a late surge from the Pioneers in winning the title of the sixth annual season-opening tournament for the first time in five tries.

Sophomore Julianna Hoisington added a career-high 13 points and senior Olivia Bradford scored 11. Junior Charlotte Kucowski chipped in nine points and five rebounds as her and DiFebbo were selected to the all-tournament team.

An 8-0 Griffin run in the first quarter helped open up a 10-10 score, only to see the Pioneers (1-1) answer with an 8-0 spurt of their own, Kucowski would net the final two field goals of the quarter, giving GMercyU a 22-18 edge after the first 10 minutes. In the second, Gwynedd would up their lead to nine, and go ahead 38-29 at halftime.

The third quarter saw Gwynedd outscore William Paterson, 20-11, and go up by as much as 20 with 2:32 left in the stanza. Bradford would complete a three-point play for a 58-38 lead with 12 seconds to go. The Pioneers added a bucket at the buzzer to cut the lead to 18 entering the final period.

Leading by 18 early in the fourth, the Griffins saw their lead dwindle, as William Paterson chipped away. Alisa Giordano's three-point play made it a seven-point contest (65-58) with 4:38 remaining. Brittany Harden's three-pointer turned the contest into a one-possession game, pulling WPU within three with 36 ticks left.

DiFebbo would hit on one of two trips at the free-throw line on the next possession, and the Pioneers would score a quick layup to make it a 71-69 game with just three seconds. WPU would foul on the inbound and send Hoisington back to the line where she hit both to account for the final score.

Harden totaled eight points, a team-high nine rebounds, along with four assists and a steal. Ariana Gomez netted 16 points off the bench while Sihana Asani would go a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc for nine points.

GM had 18 turnovers, but were able to force 29 WPU mistakes, leading to 32 points.

In the consolation game, Lycoming used a key third quarter to go on a defeat Ursinus, 63-53.

Harden, along with Jessica Porada of Ursinus, and Chelsea Henderson of Lycoming, joined Kucowski and DiFebbo on the all-tournament team.

Gwynedd Mercy returns to action on Tuesday when they take on local rival Arcadia in a doubleheader with the men in the inaugural "Battle of Route 309". The women tip it off at 6 p.m. with the men following at 8 p.m.