CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion women's basketball team dropped a decision at home on Monday afternoon, falling 67-57 to Bryant & Stratton in Tippin Gymnasium.
 
Neely Whitehead scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 6-of-8 mark from three-point range. Fifteen of her 20 points came in the first half as the Golden Eagles took a 29-21 lead heading into the locker room at the break. The Bobcats responded with inspired play in the second half, pulling ahead late in the third quarter.
 
Ke'Airah Massiah also broke double figures for Clarion, scoring 13 points, while Abby Gatesman posted eight points and eight rebounds. Devon Adams also tied for the team high with eight boards. But Bryant & Stratton won the rebounding battle by a 49-36 margin while also blocking seven shots.
 
The Golden Eagles held the edge for most of the first half, never trailing in the first quarter and only briefly falling behind in the second. Whitehead made a trio of threes to kick off the scoring for Clarion, including one at the 3:26 mark of the first quarter to put her team ahead by a 9-6 score. The Bobcats went on a 9-0 run that extended into the second quarter, but Heather Ansell broke the drought with a three-pointer at the 5:20 mark, and Emily Brown followed with a trey to make it a 17-15 edge.
 
Trailing 19-17 with a little more than three minutes to play in the first half, the Golden Eagles closed the period on a 12-2 run, starting with an and-one from Gatesman and featuring two more three-pointers from Whitehead. The latter came with just seven seconds remaining in the half and put Clarion ahead 29-21 at the halftime break. The lead was as great as 10 points in the second half after a pair of free throw makes from Adams until the Bobcats chipped away and tied it with 5:38 remaining in the period. They took the lead for good on a free throw from Myjoi Adams at the 2:39 mark and built their lead to 44-39 at the end of the third quarter.
 
The Golden Eagles (1-5) will have a quick turnaround to their next action, as they host Carlow on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.