Gwynedd Valley, Pa. - (11/8/2023) - Gwynedd Mercy University (1-0) welcomed Penn State Abington (0-1) to the Griffin Complex for a thrilling season opener before a raucous fans of the Red and Gold. The Griffins rushed out to an early 18-5 (13:20) lead and led the Nittany Lions by a 36-29 halftime spread before pushing the final margin to 19 points; 82-63, with a 46-34 second-half wave. Senior guard Aziz Parker (Westampton, N.J.) led three Griffins in double figures with 19 points; he hit 5-of-9 (.556) from three-point, grabbed nine rebounds, and made a steal.

Griffin Highlights

• Gwynedd Mercy University played better than the box score shows as the Griffins were out-shot by Penn State Abington from from the floor (41.7%-40.3%), from long range (32.0%-28.1%), and from the free throw line (75.0%-65.5%), while only slightly out-rebounding the Nittany Lions 42-37.
• A balanced first-half saw eight Griffins score. Graduate guard Manny Clark (Pottsgrove, Pa.) led the with eight points on a perfect 3-of-3 (1.000) effort from the field.
• Parker added four free throws (4-of-5, .800) to his five three-pointers.
• Junior guard Mike Marable (Philadelphia, Pa.) enjoyed his Gwynedd Mercy University debut with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
• Clark finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and an assist.
• Sophomore guard D.J. Johnson (Norristown, Pa.) captained the Red and Gold defense with five steals. He also recorded eight points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Gwynedd Mercy University continues their early-season schedule on Friday, November 11, when they tip-off versus the University of Mount Union in a 5:00 p.m. contest in the Chatham University Tip-Off Classic.