CENTER VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd-Mercy could not dig itself out of a first-half deficit as the Griffins fell at DeSales, 86-71, Monday night.

Junior Nicole Dougherty (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) and sophomore Shea Wassel (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) netted 18 points apiece. Sophomore Natasha Matthews (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) added 15 but Gwynedd lost for the third time in its last four games.

Sondrine Glovas was one of four DeSales players in double digits, registering a game-high 19 points.

GM (7-5), who shot 26.5% (9-of-34) in the first half, saw the Bulldogs outscore the Griffins, 27-10, to close the first stanza. A four-point game midway through the first turned into a 44-23 hole at the break.

In the second half, the Griffins put together a nice stretch early on using a 23-6 run to start the period. A three-pointer from freshman C.J. Hilliard (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) got the lead down to eight (52-44) and later two free throws from Wassel made it a six-point game with over 14 minutes to go.

But the Bulldogs responded with a run over their own to take their largest lead of the game, 74-53, with 7:13 to play.  Gwynedd gave it one last push to pull within 10 with just over three minutes remaining, but couldn't get any closer the rest of the way.

Hilliard finished with 10 points, a season-high. Dougherty and Wassel also led the team with three assists. Dougherty also chipped in eight boards and five steals.

Megan Gallagher contributed 12 points and a game-high 12 caroms for DeSales (8-4), who outrebounded GM, 53-37.

The Griffins rebounded to shoot over 45% in the second half to finish at a 26-of-69 (37.7%) clip for the game.

Gwynedd-Mercy will return to action on Wednesday with a CSAC matchup at Cairn starting at 6 p.m.