EMORY, Va. - Back in action for the first time in 17 days, the Meredith College basketball squad lost a 69-62 battle to the Alvernia University Crusaders. In the first pairing of Emory and Henry's Comfort Inn Holiday Tournament, the Avenging Angels' Kim Hinton led her team with 16 rebounds and 12 points.

Meredith led by as many as four points in the first 6:35 of the game. Jessi Hayes dropped in a pair of free throws and finished off a second chance opportunity created by Danielle Lee on the next play.

A series of missed attempts on both ends of the court led to a fastbreak bucket for Raven Gregory. Hinton forced a Crusader turnover to put the ball back in the hands of the Angels, as Brittaney Rice extended Meredith's lead to 7-3 at 14:52.

Alvernia finally hit their second field goal of the game at the other end of the court, but Hayes countered with her first of three from behind the arc.

Hayes and Rice paired up once more to hold on to Meredith's four-point advantage at 12:49.

The Crusaders turned up the pressure and scored the next seven points. AU maintained the gap through the rest of the first period.

Alvernia extended their advantage to 14 in the first 1:33 of the second half, but the Angels scored 11 of the next 13 to cut their deficit to just five points.

Hayes launched another Meredith run with a long ball at 12:40 and capped off the series with a second to pull the Angels to within three at the 10-minute mark.

Crusader Mya Lobb scored six of her team's next eight points en route to a 57-50 lead with less than six minutes remaining in regulation. But Meredith frosh Ashley Hudson dished off to rookie Stephanie Girard for a three-point bucket to keep the Angels in the mix.

Meredith continued to battle and Rice launched her own three pointer to pull the Avenging Angels to within three with 62 seconds left on the clock. Alvernia scored a layup after a Meredith timeout, and the Angels missed their next offensive opportunity to give the ball back to the Crusaders.

Meredith was forced to foul, and Alvernia handled the pressure at the stripe. Laquetta Hairston found Lee for a late jumper, but the Crusaders made free throws at the other end to maintain the lead for the win.

Hayes finished with a game-high 19 points, and Rice dropped in 11. Lee finished with a dozen boards to go along with six points, and Girard added seven points in the loss.

Alvernia's Olivia Andrefski led the Crusaders with 16 points, and Morgan Downs recorded 13 rebounds.

Meredith will face the loser of tonight's second game between the host Emory and Henry Wasps and the Centenary College Cyclones. The Consolation game tips off at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the John Rutledge King Center. Check back HERE for game time and live action links.