WASHINGTON -- A big 12-2 run late in the second half helped propel Gwynedd Mercy to an 82-77 victory at Gallaudet on Saturday.

Trailing by two (66-64) with 7:28 to play, the Griffins (6-2) outscored the Bison over the next three minutes to take a 76-68 lead after a big three-pointer from Rip Engel. Gallaudet (6-3) would then cut it to 76-74 with 3:11 to go and again to a two-point contest with just under a minute, but GMercyU would get a big bucket from Cedric Elleby and later two free throws from Engel down the stretch to help ice the victory.

Elleby led Gwynedd with 20 points while Engel scored seven of his nine points in the second half. Three other players hit double figures as Courtney Cubbage kicked in a career-high 19 points, Arron Goodman added 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and Rich Dunham chipped in 10.

Raymond Nelson led the Bison with 21 points and teammate Noah Valencia hit four of the team's six three-pointers to finish with 18.

Both teams shot just over 40% in a tight first half where no team led by more than six points. Two early free throws from Goodman staked the Griffins to an 8-2 score. The scoring runs would continue, this time by the Bison, who outscored GM, 15-5, midway through the period to hold a five-point edge. Gwynedd wasn't done yet, putting together an 11-2 spurt capped with a three from Ty Jones for a 32-28 score with 3:38 before the half. Cubbage's putback off a Dunham miss would beat the buzzer and send GM up, 40-37, at the break.

A 15-3 run from Gallaudet early in the second would put the Griffins in their biggest deficit of the day (56-49) with just under 14 minutes in the game. But back-to-back triples from Cubbage and Goodman was part of an 11-0 run to help put the squad back up four (60-56). In a half that featured three ties and eight lead changes, the Griffins would make their move to stay ahead for good with 7:28 left. Down two, Goodman would connect on a huge three-point play which in turn birthed a nine-point outburst, and after a Bison bucket, Engel helped the cause with his three-ball for a 76-68 advantage.

Jones would total six points and add five assists. Cubbage would register six steals as the team piled up 12 swipes on the day. As a team, the Griffins shot 29-of-68 (42%) and turn 21 Gallaudet turnovers into 24 points.

Gwynedd Mercy now heads to Miami, Florida next week to take part in the HoopMIA D3 Holiday Shootout. On Tuesday, they'll take on Manhattanville and then Goucher the following day.