Box Score CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion University women's basketball team dropped its home opener 72-50 to Pitt-Johnstown Tuesday night at Tippin Gym.
 
Raven Jones had 12 points, six assists, two steals and three rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles (2-2), while Ann Deibert added 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals and Aleya Miller eight points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Mariah Gador added eight points and seven steals to go with three rebounds.  
 
Kaitlynn Fratz had a game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals for Pitt-Johnstown (2-2). Nicole Carman added 13 points and five rebounds and Jasmine Harper 11 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Cats with both players coming off the bench.
 
Pitt-Johnstown used an 11-2 run at to close out the first half to take a 31-20 halftime lead. Fratz and Kayla DeCresisco each had 3-pointers during the run with DeCresisco scoring five of her eight points during the spurt.
 
Clarion held the deficit between 11 points and six points for the first seven minutes of the second half and got within six, 42-36, on a Jones layup with 13:07 left in the game. But the Lady Cats answered with a 9-2 run thanks to four points from Inaya Stephenson to put the lead back into double digits.
 
NOTES – It is only the fourth time in head coach Gie Parsons 24 years Clarion has lost a home opener … The game was the first for interim assistant coach Laurel Heilman, who officially joined the Golden Eagle family earlier in the day. Heilman has 18 years of head coaching experience with over 200 career wins. She coached 10 years at PSAC West rival Slippery Rock and eight at Allegheny … UPJ hit seven 3-pointers in the game (7 of 21) while Clarion was 1 of 12 … Four Golden Eagles made their Tippin Gym debuts Tuesday night. In addition to Gador, Leisha Crawford had three points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, Tania Holmes had three points, two rebounds and an assist and Jasmine Boyd added two points and an assist … Clarion is still playing without last year's PSAC West Freshman of the Year and preseason All-PSAC West selection Hannah Heeter, who is still playing volleyball for the Golden Eagles NCAA Tournament-bound team.