CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle women's basketball team bookended their game against Edinboro with strong performances in the first and fourth quarters, but the Fighting Scots controlled the 20 minutes in between as Clarion fell by a 67-57 score in Tippin Gym.
 
The opening 10 minutes of the game were some of the best for the Golden Eagles, who shot 8-of-13 (.615) from the field and built themselves a two-possession lead over the Fighting Scots. Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the second, but the shots Edinboro did make were from distance as they took a small lead heading in to halftime. The Fighting Scots built a double-digit lead in the third quarter but a rash of steals by the Golden Eagles gave Clarion life as the Golden Eagles pulled to within just a handful of points late.
 
Jada Smith and Ava Haddad tied for the team-high with 13 points apiece, with Smith also tying for the game-highs with nine rebounds and four steals. Haddad, meanwhile, finished with eight rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocked shots. Allyson Kirby came off the bench for 10 points, shooting 2-of-4 from three-point range.
 
The Golden Eagles came out ready to roll in the first quarter, going on an 8-0 run at one point to build up a two-possession lead. Trailing 12-9 with 3:41 left to go in the period, Haddad got things going for Clarion with a layup off a slick pass from Abby Gatesman. The pair turned that same trick on the next possession as well, with Gatesman finding Haddad for a make to put Clarion ahead 13-12. Smith sparked a fast break opportunity by pulling down a defensive board at the 1:36 mark, with Sierra Bermudez going coast-to-coast from there to up the lead to 15-12. Kirby punctuated the run on the following Golden Eagle possession, making a midrange jumper to make it 17-12 with 38 seconds left in the quarter.
 
Edinboro took the lead early in the second quarter, with Rana Elhusseini scoring at the 8:10 mark to give her side a 19-17 advantage. Haddad tied it back up with 6:09 to go in the half, but the Fighting Scots embarked on an 11-2 run to make it a nine-point game. Bermudez made it a two-possession contest before half with a three-pointer at the 2:07 mark, and Heather Ansell pulled the Golden Eagles to within four points early in the third, but Edinboro went on a tear that gave them a lead as great as 20 points in that period. Clarion chipped away at that lead, with Dominika Logue pulling the team to within 61-51 on a three-pointer at the 5:44 mark. Bermudez added a trey of her own with 2:38 remaining, cutting Edinboro's lead to just seven points, but the Golden Eagles got no closer.
 
 
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