CHEYNEY, Pa. – The Cheyney women's basketball team opened the season and the Tammy A. Bagby era with a hard-fought 63-45 defeat to visiting Mercyhurst  Saturday afternoon inside Cope Hall.

So. Marlon Herring and Jr. TaKayla Eills each scored 10 points to lead the Lady Wolves (0-1, 0-1 PSAC E) who fell behind 13-0 to start the game. The Lakers (3-0, 1-0 PSAC W) put three players in double figures and led 22-6 after the first ten minutes.

Cheyney responded with a 14-5 run to open the second quarter and cut the deficit to 27-20, keyed by Herring, who accounted for seven points. Mercyhurst would eventually go to the break with a 32-22 lead.

The Lady Wolves continued its comeback with a 5-0 burst out of the break on a layup from TaKayla Ellis and three point-play by Herring, to make it a 32-27 score at the 8:40 mark of the third quarter.

So Dashawna West once again made it a five point game with two of her career-high eight points, with 5:40 to play, but Mercyhurst gained control with a 10-0 run to push the lead back to 15 with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

The Lady Wolves ended the quarter on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 46-37 after three, then Ellis scored the first four points in the fourth to cut the deficit to 46-41 with 8:58 to play.
Mercyhurst then scored the next 15 points to take the victory 63-45.

Herring grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, Ellis added a team-best four assists, with three rebounds and three steals and West also had a career high four rebounds, to go with her career-best eight points.

The Wolves are back in action tomorrow when they host Gannon University, with the tip-off scheduled for 1 PM inside Cope Hall.