Box Score Wilmington, Del. - (12/8/2015) – Playing off the lead of freshman point guard Mary Trossi (Somerset, N.J.), Chestnut Hill College overcame an early double-digit deficit and 24 turnovers to keep the pressure on Goldey-Beacom College in a narrow 81-78 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) final. Three Lightning combined to score 65 points while Trossi headlined four Griffins in double figures with 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
 
Sophomores, guard Lexi Bruno (Millville, N.J.) and forward Britani Bryson (Hampton, Va.) catapulted Goldey-Beacom College (1-9, 1-3) to a double-digit lead, 14-4, in the opening five minutes of the contest (5:30). Chestnut Hill College (3-4, 1-1) made a brief reprise, but the quarter spread settled at 11 points, 23-12, with junior guard Erica McIntosh (Waldorf, Md.) hitting the second of two free throws. At the start of the second quarter, a three-pointer from sophomore forward Mikila Stefanski (Hammonton, N.J.) stretched the Lightning lead to 14 points, 26-12 (9:54), but with 4:14 left to go in the half Trossi and the Griffins whittled the margin to a single point, 29-28. The 16-3 run that began with a push from junior guard Brittany McDonough (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and finished with a flourish from Trossi continued for a another three minutes. It left the Griffins to a four-point lead, 33-29, with 1:21 still to play, but the Lightning had the final say in the period, scoring seven straight points for a 36-33 halftime advantage.
 
The Griffins erased the Lightning's lead five minutes into the third quarter (5:31), tying the contest at 41-41 on a three-point basket from junior forward Caity Kuhnen (Binghamton, N.Y.). From there, the affair stayed tight with layups from Trossi and freshman forward Jaeda Wildgoose (Somerset, N.J.) giving the Griffins a slight 52-51 advantage as the quarter came to a close. Sophomore forward Nicole Parriski (Burlington, N.J.) worked hard under the basket, growing the Griffin lead to six points, 57-51, before the nine-minute mark (9:12) of the fourth quarter, but Bryon spearheaded the Lightning resistance that collapsed the lead just two minutes later (7:04), 57-57. The game tied for the last time at 63-63 (3:49) as junior guard Jasmyne Lewis (Mount Holly, N.J.) sparked the home team for a late six-point lead, 75-69 (1:07) that would be enough to hold off the Griffins in a three-point decision, 81-78.
 
Bruno led the Lighting with 25 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and five steals. She was supported by a 22-point effort from Lewis and an 18-point performance from Bryson. Lewis added six rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal to her scoring while Bryson added seven rebounds, two assists, five blocks, and a steal to her offensive production.
 
Trossi was 8-of-16 (.500) from the floor and 7-of-10 (.700) from the free throw line in her highest scoring effort of the season. Kuhnen and Wildgoose each contributed 11 points and eight rebounds while McDonoguh came off the Griffin bench for 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Junior forward Lauren Milligan (South Hampton, England) led the Griffins on the glass with 11 rebounds.
 
The Griffins continue their CACC schedule at the University of the Sciences (USciences) on Friday, December 11, with a 5:00 p.m. contest.