Hackettstown, N.J. - (2/19/2024) - #5 Gwynedd Mercy University traveled to #4 Centenary University (NJ) to take part in the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Tournament First Round. Coming into the playoff matchup the teams split the regular season 1-1 with Gwynedd losing in overtime to the Cyclones at the Griffin Complex (L 77-85, Jan. 10) and defeating Centenary on the road (W 66-64, Jan. 27). Through the first 20 minutes of play, the Griffins were leading the Cyclones 30-25 heading into the locker room. With senior guard Lynzie Eggers (Washington Township, N.J.) entering foul trouble, Gwynedd Mercy was forced to limit the time she saw on the court in the contest (30 minutes). In the second half, Centenary came out of the locker room with an offensive outburst. The Cyclones shot 9-of-14 (64%) from the field and 1-of-1 (100%) from beyond the arc giving them a 21-13 third quarter advantage. Gwynedd Mercy as a team would fall just short in the contest with a final score of 66-58. Eggers finished with a team-high 30 points on 8-of-17 (47%) shooting, including seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal. 

Griffin Highlights: 

• Senior guard Ava Casale (Washington Township, N.J.) did not disappoint in her final game with the red and gold as she hit five of the nine Griffins' three-pointers in the contest. Casale finished 5-of-13 (39%) from three, while also generating three steals and seven rebounds, four of which were offensive.
• Gwynedd Mercy finished with 43 total rebounds and 18 of those came on the offensive side of the ball leading to 19 second-chance points.
• The Cyclones were active with their hands all game causing ten steals which led to 15 fast break points. 
• Eggers's impressive senior season will be one to remember. With her 30 points in the contest, she finished with 500 points on the season. 

Gwynedd Mercy University finished the 2023-24 season with a 9-17 overall record and a 2-9 AEC standing.