GWYNEDD, Pa. – The Salisbury University women's basketball team returned to the court for day two of the Gwynedd-Mercy Tournament, defeating the host Griffins, 71-64, to earn the tournament title.

The Griffins (1-2) went on a 7-2 run to open the game before jumpers by Kylie Webb and Kaylee Otlowski closed the gap to 7-6. Another 7-0 run followed for the host team. A pair of free throws by Courtney Brigham trimmed the Salisbury (3-0) deficit to 14-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Momentum shifted quickly to start the second quarter, with the Sea Gulls going on a 9-0 run thanks to two assists by Lauren Fortescue, including a Rachel Ryan layup that got the run started, to take a 17-14 lead. The Griffins answered, closing the half with a 14-6 run over the final four minutes to carry a 28-23 lead into the locker room.

Salisbury came out with another strong push to start the second half with a 12-4 run to re-take the lead at 35-32 just over three minutes into the third quarter. The final seven minutes of the frame was a back-and-forth affair in which neither team led by more than three points.

The battle carried into a final frame that included five lead changes and two ties. The Griffins pulled out to a 62-58 lead on a three-point play by Shannon Carroll, but it was all Salisbury from that point on, as the Sea Gulls rallied off a 13-2 run led by seven points from Ryan to close out the game.

Kaylyn French paced the maroon and gold with 16 points, while three other Sea Gulls reached double digits. French also pulled in a team-high six rebounds, while Amber Onyekwere led the Sea Gulls with five assists.

For her efforts throughout the weekend, Webb was named tournament MVP. Jada Welbon was also named to the all-tournament team.

The team returns home on Tuesday, November 20 to host Stevenson University. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m