GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- DeSales handed Gwynedd Mercy an 85-60 defeat Monday evening in non-conference action at The Griffin Complex.

GMercyU connected on 10 three-pointers, going 9-of-12 from behind the arc in the first half, but saw the Bulldogs pull away in the third quarter.

Sydney Thompson led Gwynedd (4-2) with 10 points off the bench. The rookie added three rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

For DeSales, Leandra Sterner led all scorers with 29 points. Teammate Morgan Birmelin flirted with a quadruple-double, totaling nine rebounds, eight points, seven assists, and seven steals.

In the first, Susan Bossler hit a three to bring the Griffins within 7-6. A foul by Gwynedd allowed DeSales (5-2) to sink two free throws from Sterner which started a 10-0 spurt to widen the lead. A drive to the bucket with a foul from Bianca Adams put the finishing touches on a three-point play to get within 20-12 with under a minute, but DeSales used a leaner in the paint to reclaim the double-digit lead after one.

The second saw Gwynedd hit six triples in the frame and helped them get within six midway through the stanza. Denise Sacco hit a trey from the top of the arc to bring the score to 28-22. Sterner would use a three-point play of her own, two possessions later to lay the groundwork for a 9-0 run. A barrage of three's from Thompson and Jill Kane later in the period helped the Griffins stay close, trailing by six (43-37) at the break.

The deficit grew in the third quarter as eight turnovers in the frame helped the Bulldogs up their lead to as much as 65-45 with 2:14 remaining.  Gwynedd started the final quarter hanging tough, but could not get any closer on the night.

The women's team will look to bounce back as they return to action this Thursday at King's College.