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Gwynedd-Mercy 80, Emory & Henry 66

BOX SCORE

GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. – A pair of Griffins netted career highs to help Gwynedd-Mercy win their fifth game in a row, as the Griffins downed Emory & Henry, 80-66.

Junior Nicole Dougherty (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) scored a 23 points while sophomore Natasha Matthews (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) totaled 20 as the Griffins (6-2) shook off a rusty first half and used a late scoring spurt with under four minutes in the game to pick up the win.

Jalan McPherson led Emory & Henry (5-3) with 14 points. She was one of four Wasps in double figures.

Gwynedd got off to a shaky start, as the team saw its first action in a week due to finals. After a slew of turnovers and missed shots, GM didn't get their first field goal until almost five minutes into the game. The Wasps also had their share of miscues as the teams were tied at 7-7 at the 12:18 mark.

Back-to-back buckets from Dougherty and Matthews, gave the Griffins some breathing room and their largest lead of the stanza (26-18) with 4:46 before halftime. GM would lead 33-27 at the break.

In the second, Gwynedd looked to run away as Lauren Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) fed Dougherty on the fast break for a nine-point edge (43-34), but the Wasps would score the next 10 points over a four-minute span to take their first lead since early in the first half.  GM would again try to pull away but E&H countered. An eight-point lead shrunk to a 61-60 deficit as Tamara Brewster's jumper with 4:52 left put the Wasps back in front.

Dougherty and Matthews were instrumental in kickstarting a game-changing 17-2 run, combining to score 12 of those 17 points over a three-minute stretch. Smith would help cap the scoring spree with a big three-pointer for a 77-63 edge with one minute to play.

As a team, the Griffins shot 31-of-63 (49.2%) from the floor with 5-of-11 coming from downtown. The Wasps were just 24-of-68 (35.3%) but won the battle of the boards, 44-39. Both teams almost had identical turnovers, as E&H also led that category, 28-27.

Dougherty also added a personal-best five assist along with five rebounds. Matthews was a carom shy of a double-double with nine. Smith and sophomore Shea Wassel (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) each finished with nine points. Wassel chipped in seven boards, three steals and two blocks. Senior Liza Leyes (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) scored six points in her first action of the year.

Gwynedd-Mercy welcomes Richard Stockton on Tuesday in a 7 p.m. start for their final game before the holiday break.