GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- The Gwynedd Mercy Women's Basketball team held off John Jay in a nail biter of a contest at The Griffin Complex on Saturday, earning a 91-86 win.

Freshman Elise Sylvester led the Griffins with 16 points while adding four assists and three steals. Fellow rookie Haley Crossley netted 13 while Denise Sacco, Tamia Wessels, and Jill Kane all kicked in 11 points apiece respectively.

John Jay's All'aha Albright led the game with 30 points, scoring 22 in the second half while hitting seven of the team's eight three-pointers on the day. Teammate Katie Healy put up 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Albright and Nyasha Howard each snared 16 boards.

GMercyU was able to turn 36 Bloodhound turnovers into a season-high 40 points while using 19 steals to their advantage.

In the first quarter, scoring was at a premium, The Griffins opened up the scoring with a layup from Wessels, but the John Jay defense held the Griffins for the next few minutes as they sunk a couple of baskets.  Carroll tied up the game with a quick layup, but a couple of no look passes down in the paint allowed the Bloodhounds to take a five-point lead. Three-pointers from Sandone and later Emma Keal put the Griffins ahead for the first time, but it was short lived as two layups from Healy and Howard resulted in a 13-11 score at the end of the first. 

Jill Kane opened the second quarter draining a three. Later, Cayla Sharkey hit from downtown to kickstart a 10-0 run capped by another trey from Kane for a 30-23 lead. Marissa Sandone hit the fourth triple of the quarter to stretch the advantage to 36-27 with just over a minute in the half, but the Bloodhounds were able to cut to a 38-32 score at break.

Haley Crossley's tough bucket in the paint gave GMercyU a 10-point lead (45-35), their largest of the game, early in the third. Albright hit two of her five treys in the quarter as part of a 16-4 run to take a 51-49 edge, but Gwynedd answered with a big trifecta from Tolu Omole and a twisting layup from Crossley gave the Griffins a brief lead before Albright sank back-to-back three's helping John Jay to a 63-60 lead heading into the fourth.

The Griffins started the final quarter on a 17-6 spurt capped by a corner three from Sylvester for a 77-69 score with 5:34 to play. John Jay interrupted Gwynedd's scoring streak with a layup, but the Griffins quickly answered with another steal and a layup of their own. The Bloodhounds whittled the lead down to one after two Albright free throws with a 1:13 left. Healy then hit one of two from the line as the Griffins had five fouls in the frame. A crucial three-point play from Crossley as she was fouled on her tough look inside. Her ensuing free throw with 52 ticks left gave the Griffins lead for good. Up four, Wessels notched her fifth steal of the game which led to a foul and two more points at the line from Sylvester and locked up the final outcome.

As a team, Gwynedd totaled 19 steals and grabbed 23 offensive rebounds. Omole would dish out a career-high six assists. Sacco and Sharkey were the team's top rebounders with seven apiece.

Howard totaled six points, nine assists, two assists, and two blocks to go along with her 16 rebounds

The women will be back in action on Wednesday, December 4th as they travel to up Wilkes University for a 7 p.m. start.