LANGHORNE, PA – The Cairn University Women's Basketball team hosted Saint Elizabeth University on Monday night, handing the Eagles a 78-68 loss to clinch their first ever United East Women's Basketball Championship berth.
Saint Elizabeth (19-5 / 14-3 United East Skye Division) held the advantage through the first quarter, winning the tip and running the fast break to hold a 22-15 lead after the first quarter. Cairn (15-9 / 10-7 United East Skye Division) would cut into the lead via two layups from freshman forward
Dezaray Bright (Keystone Heights, FL / Keystone Heights) and cut the lead to three on buckets from junior forward
Taylor Hinson (Carney's Point, NJ / Collingswood) and freshman guard
Makayla Raines (Jonesboro, GA / St. Mary's Academy). The Eagles would respond in force, pushing the lead back up to eight with Raines hitting a free throw at the end of the half to make it a seven point margin at the break, Eagles ahead 43-36.
Bright opened the second half with a layup, grabbing an offensive board and turning it into two points. Freshman guard
Ella Quince (Morrisville, PA / Morrisville) scored three straight buckets to bring the Eagles' lead to three points. Saint Elizabeth battled back to rebuild their lead. Raines would be fouled on a floating jumper in the paint, knocking down the shot as she hit the floor and knocking down the free throw. Bright picked up another offensive rebound, scoring the layup followed by a jump shot by Raines as the Highlanders trailed 57-53 heading into the fourth quarter.
Quince made an and-one jump shot with the free throw to cut the lead back to three again. Bright would collect yet another offensive rebound, getting fouled on the way up for the put back. She would make both free throws and on the next possession, force a steal away from Saint Elizabeth. On the possession, Cairn would move the ball, swinging it to freshman guard
Crystal Jones (Orlando, FL / Foundation Academy) who buried the triple from 25-feet away to give the Highlanders a 63-61 lead. Raines, Quince, and Hinson would each make a shot to extend their lead to seven with 2 minutes to play. Cairn would outscore the Eagles 13-6 in that span as Raines and Quince both knocked down their free throws in the closing seconds to steal a win from the Eagles, 78-68.
Cairn found opportunities on offense despite shooting 1-7 (14.3%) from behind the arc (Jones had the only made three) and 50% from the free throw line in the first half. Quince matched her career-high with 25 points, taking away 7 steals, adding 3 assists. Raines scored 23 points with 5 assists. Bright was the leading board-getter, securing 20 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards, and scoring 10 for the second double-double of her young career. Hinson provided 10 points with 12 rebounds.
With the win on Monday, the Highlanders clinch their first ever United East postseason bid as well as securing 10 conference wins in a season for the first time since 2005-06, yet another set of accomplishments in what seems to be a new era of Women's Basketball at Cairn University.
The Highlanders close the regular season hosting Bryn Athyn on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
