ERIE, Pa. – The Golden Eagle women's basketball team put on a furious charge in the late minutes of action, but Clarion (2-10, 1-6 PSAC) ultimately fell on the road at Mercyhurst by a 59-52 score. They outscored the Lakers 18-11 in the fourth quarter and drove a double-digit deficit to just two possessions, but could not ultimately finish off the rally.
 
Mercyhurst led 48-34 heading into the final frame, but Clarion opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to make things all kinds of interesting with just more than three minutes to play. Most of that came on an 8-0 run midway through the quarter, starting with a jumper by Sierra Bermudez. The freshman then drilled three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, including one that cut things down to 50-46 with 3:13 left in regulation. She kept it a two-possession game with a free throw that made it 52-47, and added another with five seconds to play to make it 58-52. The Golden Eagles were unable to get the big final shot they needed, though, as the Lakers held on to win.
 
Bermudez, as it turned out, scored all of her team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter, including every bucket for the Golden Eagles' after Allyson Kirby's make to start the period. She also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Cory Santoro and Olivia Boocks finished with 10 points apiece.
 
The Lakers opened the game on an 11-3 run, but Jada Smith and Santoro scored on back-to-back possessions to pull things within 11-7. Mercyhurst rebounded with seven of the next 10 points, taking an 18-10 advantage after one quarter. It was still just a two-possession game midway through the second quarter when Kirby made a jumper, cutting the lead to 25-19 at the 3:13 mark, but the Lakers eventually made it 31-21 at the half.
 
Mercyhurst's lead went as high as 17 points in the third quarter but Clarion chipped away, with Bermudez's first bucket of the fourth quarter pulling the Golden Eagles to within 10 points.