Crossley’s Seventh Appearance on Weekly Report Comes With First AEC Defensive Player Honor
Lancaster, Pa. – (2/21/2022) – Junior forward Haley Crossley (Warminster, Pa.) made her seventh appearance (Nov. 15, Dec. 13, Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14, Feb. 21) on the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Women’s Basketball Weekly Report, this time garnering the league’s Defensive Player of the Week honors. Crossley recorded two blocks and three steals, while contributing eight points and 10 rebounds to Gwynedd Mercy University’s 60-54 AEC regular season finale victory over Marywood University.
Gwynedd Mercy University (13-12, 7-5) won a topsy-turvy first half that saw them trail 16-6 (0:02) at the end of the first quarter, but lead Marywood University (9-12, 4-7) by 24-23 (0:52) spread at halftime. After intermission, the Griffins emerged from the early back-and-forth for a nine-point, 37-28, lead with 4:28 to play in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Pacers rallied for a 42-41 (0:00) edge heading to the final frame. There, the point play of junior Elise Sylvester (Pottstown, Pa.) led the Gwynedd Mercy University to victory as she tied the contest with an and-one, 50-50 (4:24), and gave the Griffins a 54-50 (2:06) lead heading to final two minutes with a pair of clutch buckets. In the end, Gwynedd Mercy University only improved the position by the final buzzer; 60-54 (0:26).
Sylvester finished with a team-high 18 points, while recording three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Sophomore guard Lynzie Eggers (Turnersville, N.J.) was the only other Griffin in double figures, pairing her 11 points with 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Junior guard Kelly Owens (Schwenksville, Pa.) impacted the game greatly with three well-timed long range buckets (3-of-8, .375), while additional double-digit efforts on the glass came from Crossley and fellow junior forward Cayla Sharkey (Lansdale, Pa.) (12).
As the #4 seed in the 2021-2022 AEC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, Gwynedd Mercy University will host #5 Neumann University in 6:00 p.m. quarterfinal on Monday, February 21.
