ERIE, Pa. – Gannon used an 22-4 run that started a minute before halftime and extended into the first six minutes of the second half to break open a close game and get a 72-45 win over Clarion in PSAC West women's basketball action Wednesday night at Gannon.
 
The Golden Eagles (1-5 overall, 0-2 PSAC West), looking for their first win at Gannon since 1995, were right in the game trailing by just six, 32-26, following a Hannah Heeter layup with 1:28 to play in the first half.
 
But Gannon (4-2, 3-0), the 25^th ranked team in the country, ended the first half with four quick points to take a 36-26 halftime lead, and then scored 18 of the first 22 points of the second half to break the game open.
 
Heeter led Clarion with 12 points, five rebounds and two steals but had just two points after halftime. Tania Holmes added 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot for the Golden Eagles but also was shut down after the break being limited to three points.
 
Jasmine Boyd chipped in eight points, while freshman Amesha Harden-Pullium, playing in her hometown, added seven points and four assists, tying her season high for assists. Delrika Jones-Carey had six points and eight rebounds.
 
Ten different Gannon players scored led by 12 points and eight rebounds from Nettie Blake and 10 points from McKenna Shives. Brittany Batts chipped in seven points, seven assists and four rebounds, while Morgan Neighbors had nine points.
 
Early in the game, Gannon jumped out fast taking an 11-2 lead four minutes into the contest and maintaining the 9-point lead, 15-6, with 14 minutes to play.
 
But Clarion fought back closing to within five, 15-10, thanks to four straight points from Holmes.
 
Gannon, though, answered back and got the lead to as many as 12, 30-18, with four minutes left in the half prior to an 8-2 Clarion run cut the deficit to the 32-26 score with 1:28 to play. Heeter had six of her 12 points during the spurt.
 
Clarion returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts California (Pa.) in PSAC West action. It's the PSAC West home opener for the Golden Eagles, who played five of their first six games away from Tippin Gym.