GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- A late scoring run helped Neumann escape with a 62-57 win over Gwynedd Mercy in an Atlantic East Conference matchup Saturday afternoon at The Griffin Complex.
Gwynedd's Sydney Thompson led the team with 19 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of steals. She, along with Olivia Roseman, each hit three three-pointers as the team totaled nine. Roseman also finished in double figures with 14 points.
Nafisa Saunders netted 13 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter for the Knights. Her two free throws started an 11-0 run that turned a six-point Griffin lead (45-39) to a 54-45 Neumann edge with 3:15 to play. Back-to-back three pointers from Jill Kane gave GMercyU a late 56-54 edge with just over a minute, but it would be the last field goal for the Griffins as Neumann closed the contest on an 8-1 stretch.
Trailing by four after the first quarter, the Griffins saw the deficit inflate to as high as nine (27-18) with 4:54 before the half. That's when Gwynedd got hot and sent both teams to the lockerroom thanks to an 18-0 run that saw a trifecta of three-pointers from Thompson and Roseman. In all, the team hit four in the quarter and led 36-27 at the break,
Points were at a premium in the third, as the Knights outscored the Griffins, 9-5. The team had one field goal in the frame, a late three from Denise Sacco that helped them carry a 41-36 edge into the final 10 minutes.
A three-point play from Saunders early in the fourth was countered by a nice finish from Thompson for a 45-39 advantage. The Knights then began their run to eventually take a late lead.
Mariah Maciejewski added 16 points and nine caroms while teammate Lauren Leicht hit three of the team's six three's to finish with 12 points.
Sacco finished the day with seven points, four assists, and a career-high eight rebounds. Roseman grabbed six boards and added three dimes. Half of Neumann's 26 fourth-quarter points came off of seven Gwynedd turnovers in the frame.
The team looks to rebound on Wednesday when they head to Immaculata.