ERIE, Pa.--- The Golden Eagles women's basketball team made their season debut in a high-scoring affair, falling to Notre Dame (Ohio) by a score of 93-83 in a game played at Gannon's Hammermill Center. The contest marked the Clarion head coaching debut for Danielle Fleming, who made her first appearance on the sidelines as the Golden Eagles' head coach.Â
Clarion showed a significant offensive improvement in their first game under their new head coach, going off for 83 points while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. That point total would have easily been their highest of the 2022-23 season, and was in fact their best single-game scoring total against a Division II opponent since the Golden Eagles scored 90 in a win over Davis & Elkins on Nov. 20, 2019. Hannah Wilkerson led the way with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting and also pulled down seven rebounds. Sadre'a Rougeau scored 14 points while Malayziah Etherdge chipped in nine points to go with seven boards and two assists.
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 23-18 lead over the Falcons, with Dominika Logue hitting a three-pointer early to put her side ahead 5-4, and adding another trey at the 6:01 mark to up the lead to 10-6. Wilkerson gave Clarion a bit of breathing room with a make at the 3:00 mark, putting her team ahead 15-12, and Rougeau gave the Golden Eagles a 23-16 lead with a layup late in the first quarter. Cencere McDaniel pulled the Falcons to within five points at the break, setting the stage for Notre Dame to take the advantage in the game. The Falcons outscored the Golden Eagles 54-38 in the second and third quarters despite the fact Clarion took a 26-18 lead early in the second, on a jumper by Rougeau.
The Falcons chipped away at Clarion's lead in the second quarter, taking the lead for good with 56 seconds remaining in the half. Rachel Richardson hit a layup to make it 40-39 and Notre Dame carried a 43-39 lead into the halftime break. Their advantage reached double-digits early in the third quarter after Kennadi Harris made it 53-43 with a jumper, though Arianna Myers pulled the Golden Eagles to within 53-51 with a three-pointer off a slick pass from Autumn Taylor. Notre Dame again extended the lead to double-digits and rode the lead the rest of the way.
