CLARION, Pa. – Facing off against a team ranked among the very best in the nation, the Golden Eagle women’s basketball team showed they were capable of competing with the best the conference has to offer, keeping close with #3/4 Gannon before falling 54-44 in Tippin Gym.
Scoring was at a premium, with both teams shooting under 35 percent from the field. The Golden Eagles were able to hold the high-powered Gannon offense to nearly 20 points below their season average with aggressive defense, at times evoking frustration from the Golden Knights.
Clarion held a lead after the first quarter thanks in part to their ability to hit from behind the arc, converting three of their first eight attempts. The Golden Eagles stifled the Gannon offense, holding them to 15.4 percent from the field and only allowing two field goals in the quarter. Abby Gatesman started the night with a three-pointer, en route to her finishing the game with 11 points.
With Clarion trailing by two with a couple of minutes left in the first quarter, Sadre’a Rougeau stripped the Golden Knights’ Olivia Cernuto and took it coast to coast for a layup that tied things at 8-8. A hustle play by Heather Ansell just before the end of the period allowed the Golden Eagles to take the lead, as Autumn Taylor took a pass from Siara Conley and drilled a three-pointer with 10 seconds left.
Ansell, who finished with six points, continued her strong first half with two three-pointers in the second quarter. Rougeau notched her second steal of the night and finished with a fastbreak layup to run the early Golden Eagle advantage to 16-12. Gannon responded with an 8-1 run of their own, though, and took a 24-22 lead into halftime.
Hannah Wilkerson and Gatesman came out of halftime scoring or assisting on the next nine Golden Eagles baskets. Wilkerson started the third quarter by grabbing an offensive rebound and finishing with a tough layup to tie it at 24, and a Gatesman steal led to another Wilkerson bucket. Wilkerson finished with five points on the night.
At the 5:26 mark of the third quarter, Gatesman sank a three-point basket to put her team ahead, making it 31-29. Gannon responded to the Golden Eagle punches with a haymaker of their own, going on a 12-2 run to end the period and giving them the biggest lead of the night at 42-33.
In the fourth quarter, the Golden Eagles mounted their last attempt at a comeback, aided by nine free throws made, but the PSAC’s number-one scoring defense would only allow them to get within seven points.
The Golden Eagles will be back in action at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as they travel to Slippery Rock for another conference showdown.
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