CLARION, Pa.--- The Golden Eagle women's basketball team fell behind IUP in the first half but fought back with a tough defensive effort, but Clarion ultimately fell to the Crimson Hawks 67-58 in Tippin Gym on Wednesday night.
 
After a second-quarter outburst in which the Crimson Hawks shot 10-of-16 in the quarter, the Golden Eagles held them to just a 15-of-55 (.273) mark from the field the rest of the game, continuing their strong defensive pace they had established over the previous four games.  In their last five contests the Golden Eagle have allowed an average of just 62.4 points per game, 15.8 points below their season average.
 
Strong offensive rebounding was a key factor in the comeback attempt against the Crimson Hawks, with 17 of the Golden Eagles' 22 offensive boards coming in the second half. Foul shooting also played a part in Clarion's success as the Golden Eagles went 19-24 from the charity stripe on the night.
 
Hannah Wilkerson had an outstanding day for the Golden Eagles, posting her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive side. Autumn Taylor was also able to affect all areas of the stat sheet, posting 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on the night. DayLynn Thornton and Siara Conley also made an impact, with the former adding 10 points and 5 rebounds and the latter recording 10 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
 
The game started as a back-and-forth, with the lead changing hands multiple times throughout the quarter. With 6:24 left in the first quarter, Wilkerson made a jump shot after collecting one of her many offensive rebounds off an Abby Gatesman missed three-pointer to break the tie and put Clarion up 8-6. The second quarter would see the Crimson Hawks out-score the Golden Eagles 25-14, giving them a 37-24 advantage going into the locker room.
 
Late in the third, five quick points from Taylor were the catalyst for a 7-0 Clarion run that cut the IUP lead down to 13 points at the end of the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Conley foughtto grab an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Heather Ansell for a three-pointer, one of her three on the night, to make it 58-49 with 5:02 to play. On the next possession, a nice out-of-bounds play freed Thornton up to make a jumper that pulled the Golden Eagles to within 58-51. This was as close as IUP would allow the Golden Eagles to get, though, as the Crimson Hawks pushed the lead back up to double digits and secured the win.
 
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