CLARION, Pa.--- The Golden Eagles women's basketball team rallied from a huge deficit in the first half, but ultimately lost 50-46 to East Stroudsburg in a thriller at Tippin Gym. Clarion clawed their way back from a 21-point deficit midway through the second quarter to close the gap and even held a lead late in the game, but could not hold again against a feisty Warriors squad.

The Golden Eagles got contributions from everyone through the lineup. The bench was a huge factor in the game and sparked the comeback, scoring 37 of the team's 46 points, including a team-high 17 points from Autumn Taylor. Heather Ansell came off the bench and chipped in eight points and two rebounds.

After Clarion started in a 24-7 hole in the first quarter, they would find their footing and start their comeback bid. With 5:58 in the second quarter, a layup by DayLynn Thorton kickstarted a 16-1 Golden Eagles run that cut the Warriors lead from a 30-9 advantage to a 31-27 gap to end the half. Through the run, Clarion swarmed on defense, forcing two shot clock violations, and a Bailey Matrascia steal set up a Dominika Logue three-pointer to close the half.

The Golden Eagles took their first lead of the game with three minutes left in the third quarter. A couple of offensive rebounds from Alyssa McLellon and Matrascia, along with a nice swing pass from Sadre'a Rougeau, led to a Taylor three-pointer that put Clarion up 38-37. Thirty seconds later, Taylor put the Golden Eagles up four with another three-point basket.

Taylor had come out of halftime feeling it from beyond the arc, hitting three treys and scoring 11 points in the third quarter alone. The Golden Eagles continued their defensive momentum from the second quarter, forcing the Warriors to shoot 2-of-15 from the field and forcing five turnovers.

Clarion extended their lead to eight with 5:59 left in regulation after an Ansell layup made it 46-38. Afterwards, the Warriors' defense would tighten, forcing the Golden Eagles into three straight turnovers to make it a 46-45 game with 2:25 left on the clock. The Warriors made five of their final six shots during their fourth-quarter comeback. An Izzy Vogel layup off a Matrascia missed three-pointer would put the Warriors back in the lead, which they would not relinquish.

The Golden Eagles will retake the court at Tippin Gymnasium tomorrow at 3 p.m. as they host Kutztown for the first leg of a doubleheader.
 
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