A PLUME, Pa. – The Centenary University women's basketball team battled until the final buzzer Saturday afternoon, falling to Keystone College, 58-56, to conclude the Keystone Tip-Off Tournament inside Ace Spalding Arena.
The Cyclones remained competitive throughout the opening quarter, with Alexandra Koon establishing an early offensive presence. Centenary scored 17 points in the opening frame, trailing by just one point, 18-17, heading into the second quarter. Both teams continued to battle in the second period, with Centenary adding 12 points while holding the Giants to just 17.6 percent shooting from the field. Keystone carried a narrow 31-29 advantage into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Cyclones shot 40 percent from the field, scoring 15 points in the third quarter. However, Keystone extended its advantage to 48-44 heading into the final 10 minutes of play. Centenary continued to fight in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Giants 12-10 while holding Keystone to 22.2 percent shooting from the field. Despite the late push, the Cyclones fell just short of securing their first victory of the season.
Alexandra Koon delivered a dominant performance, recording her second consecutive double-double with a game-high 29 points and 20 rebounds. Koon shot an impressive 12-for-21 from the field, connected on both of her three-point attempts and went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. She also contributed two assists and two steals. Following her 16-point, 13-rebound performance against Cedar Crest on Friday, Koon concluded the tournament with an impressive 45 points and 33 rebounds across two games.
Kezia Feaster added 10 points, connecting on two three-pointers, while Olivia Minnich recorded six points and 11 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Imani Blucher contributed five points, four rebounds and a team-high three assists. Ashley Ventura finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists, while Jocelyn Rodriguez added two points and two rebounds off the bench.
As a team, Centenary collected 50 rebounds, scored 28 points in the paint and recorded 14 second-chance points. The Cyclones shot 33.8 percent from the field while limiting Keystone to 26.7 percent shooting.
With the loss, the Cyclones move to 0-5 overall on the season.
