CLARION, Pa. – The Golden Eagle women's basketball team kept it tight in the first 20 minutes but was unable to get over the hilltop in the third quarter, falling to Edinboro 81-65 at Tippin Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Clarion (4-17, 3-3 PSAC) erased several deficits in the first half and pulled to within one possession midway through the third before the Fighting Scots pulled away.
 
Sierra Bermudez scored a game-high 18 points to go with five rebounds and three assists, while Cory Santoro posted 14 points, five boards and two assists. Charjae Brock came off the bench for a season-high 10 points and also contributed a team-high four assists.
 
Despite the fact that the teams were separated by just one point at the end of the first half, the opening 20 minutes was not exactly the two teams going shot-for-shot. The Golden Eagles and Fighting Scots instead traded long runs, with Edinboro starting the game on a huge rally and Clarion responding with one of their own. Edinboro led 19-9 less than five minutes into the contest, but the Golden Eagles cut that to 20-14 with under two to go in the period. Bermudez made a midrange jumper in the paint to cut it to 23-19, and Brock drew a foul on a three-pointer with one second remaining to head to the charity stripe. Brock made all three free throws to pull her team within a single point at the break.
 
Siara Conley checked into the game and put the Golden Eagles ahead for the first time in the contest, scoring in the paint to put Clarion ahead 24-23 on the first possession of the second quarter. The Fighting Scots responded with an 11-0 run to again go ahead by double-digits, and this time Santoro was the one to cut into the lead. Santoro scored at the 5:48 mark to make it 34-26, and then swished a trey in the corner to cut it 34-29. Olivia Boocks sank a fast break three-pointer at the 3:44 mark to pull the Golden Eagles back to 34-32and Bermudez made three of four free throws down the stretch to cut it ot 36-35 at the half.
 
It was still a one-possession game with 6:26 remining in the third quarter, after Brock finished off an and-one to cut Edinboro's lead to 43-41. She added a jumper at the 5:35 mark to keep it a two-point game, but the Fighting Scots scored 19 of the final 26 points of the quarter to build a 64-50 advantage. Clarion got to within 10 with under three minutes to play but could not fight all the way back.