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Gwynedd-Mercy 68, Marywood 56
2013 CSAC Tournament Semifinal

BOX SCORE

GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd-Mercy will get a chance to defend its CSAC Championship as the Griffins advanced to the title game with a 68-56 semifinal win over Marywood Wednesday night.

The second-seeded Griffins (18-8) will play at top-seeded Cabrini on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the championship and an NCAA Tournament bid.

Junior Nicole Dougherty (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) led GM with 16 points and five assists, both game highs. Jordan Dominic (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge) added 14 and Shea Wassel (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) chipped in 13 as GM did not need extra time to knock the Pacers out of the playoffs for the second-straight year. Last season, the Griffins outlasted Marywood in a memorable 82-78 double overtime win.

Gwynedd pulled away in the second half, using an 18-for-20 clip at the free throw line, and a key 8-0 run late in the contest to stretch a lead into double digits.

Maggie Presnal had 14 points for the fifth-seeded Pacers (15-12). Danielle Terranella and Morgann Haduck each had 11 respectively. Terranella added a game-high 12 rebounds while Haduck hit all three of Marywood's three-pointers. Presnal also chipped in eight boards, three blocks, and three steals.

The Griffins started the game hot, racing out to an 8-0 lead, but would only score on field goal over the next five minutes as the Pacers were able climb back and tie it at 11-11. Later on Haduck would hit from downtown to give Marywood its largest lead (23-17) of the stanza with under seven minutes before the half.  But back came the Griffins, as Dominic's three-pointer capped a 7-1 spurt and the team's were tied again (24-24). GM would take a 28-27 lead into the break.
Again, Gwynedd started off strong in the second, scoring on buckets from Lauren Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Dominic, but like the first half, the Pacers were able rally back to tie the game.

Trailing 41-40 with less than nine minutes to go, Dominic drained one of her three treys, to help Gwynedd start a 9-0 run. With 4:23 to go, Marywood's Lindsay Schroth completed a three-point play to pull the Pacers within four (51-47).
Dougherty would help put the game out of reach as her three-pointer gave GM a double-figure lead with 3:24 left. The Griffins were able to go 7-of-8 at the line down the stretch to help ice the victory.

Gwynedd shot exactly 40% (20-of-50) for the game, while holding the Pacers to 25% in the second (1-for-12 from downtown). Marywood did outrebound the Griffins, 39-33. GM hit on 23-of-27 attempts at the free-throw line compared to a 13-for-22 stint for the Pacers.

Smith finished with eight points and three steals. Natasha Matthews (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) added nine points and seven boards.

It will be the 15th time Gwynedd will play for a conference championship under 18th-year head coach Keith Mondillo.