CENTER VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd Mercy tried to rally with a big fourth quarter, but would come up short in a 52-43 defeat at DeSales on Monday night.

Charlotte Kucowski led the Griffins (2-4) with game highs of 19 points and 16 rebounds, which tied a career high. Nicole Dombrowski added nine points and nine rebounds while blocking a personal-best four shots, but GMercyU looked to spark a comeback down by as much as 24 points midway in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs (5-1) used Morgan McCollian's 18 points and Leandra Sterner's 13 to lead 17-6 after the first and 33-14 at the half. The deficit grew to as much as 41-17 with 6:41 left in the third.

Kucowski and the Griffins came alive in the fourth, outscoring DeSales, 20-8, as the senior scored 15 of her 19 points in the stanza. Her layup capped a 12-0 run to turn a 20-point hole into a 48-40 contest with 2:29 to play. Alison Szyszko's three-point play at the 1:34 mark pulled Gwynedd within seven (50-43) but it would be the final field goal for the game for Gwynedd.

The Griffins totaled 12 steals for the second game in a row, led by Jayla Greene, who had a career-high four swipes. The Bulldogs would hold a 48-37 edge on the glass.

Gwynedd Mercy returns home to take on King's at The Griffin Complex on Thursday in a 7 p.m. tip.