STOCKTON TOPS GWYNEDD-MERCY 80-74

Lauren Alwan

Boxscore

Richard Stockton (7-1, 1-0 NJAC) won their sixth consecutive game with an 80-74 victory over Gwynedd-Mercy (5-5). The contest was the first for the Ospreys in 17 days and featured 10 ties before Stockton pulled away in the second half.

Lauren Alwan (Winslow/Timber Creek) led Stockton with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Brittany Muniz (Cherry Hill/Cherry Hill East) added career highs of 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

LaTonya Oliver (West Berlin/Overbrook) chipped in with 12 points and a game-high 17 boards for her fifth straight double-double. Stockton out-rebounded the Griffins by a 61-46 margin.

Gwynedd-Mercy was led by Shea Wassel who scored 15 points to top four players in double figures and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Brittany Neill added 14 points, Natasha Matthews chipped in with 13 and Jess Rotella added 10 markers.

The game was close throughout the first half as the teams traded baskets before Stockton was able to take a slim 38-35 edge at the break. Aliyah Nelson (Pleasantville/St. Joseph) sparked the Ospreys to the lead with nine first-half points, matched by Neill and Rotella with nine markers apiece for Gwynedd-Mercy.

In the second half, the Ospreys broke the game open with a 19-5 run over an eight-minute span to take a 73-61 lead with 4:27 to play. Che’Na Thompson (Salem/Salem) led the charge with seven points during the spurt. Gwynedd-Mercy got within 77-72 with 1:37 to play but Stockton answered with a bucket by Oliver and went on to the 80-74 win.