CLARION, Pa - Clarion (6–1, 1–0 PSAC) came up just short in a tight non-conference matchup on Tuesday night, falling 79–76 to visiting Felician (6–2, 3–0 CACC) inside Tippin Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles rallied from an early deficit and traded momentum throughout the night, but a strong closing stretch from Felician allowed the visitors to escape with the three-point win.
Clarion fell behind early as Felician opened the game on a dominant 14–0 run, turning defense into quick points and attacking the paint to build a sizable first-quarter lead. The Golden Eagles struggled to find their offensive rhythm while Felician pushed the tempo, eventually taking a 27–13 lead after the opening period.
Clarion responded with an explosive second quarter, igniting a major momentum shift behind the hot shooting of
Zoe Guice and timely threes from
Arianna Seitz and
Alyssa Terza. The Golden Eagles forced turnovers, pushed the ball in transition, and outscored Felician 28–17 to erase the deficit and enter halftime down just 44–41 in a fast-paced, high-energy stretch.
The third quarter remained tight as both teams traded scoring bursts. Felician leaned heavily on standout forward Ane Valle, who continued to score inside while Clarion answered with drives and transition baskets from Seitz and Guice. Felician edged the period 19–17, keeping the game within one possession throughout and setting up a tense finish heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter featured back-and-forth moments, but Felician's interior scoring and timely defensive stops proved to be the difference. Clarion battled to the end, with strong minutes from multiple guards, but a late push by Felician allowed the visitors to hang on for the 79–76 victory in Tippin Gymnasium.
Clarion was led by
Zoe Guice's 26 points on five three-pointers, while
Aundraya Neavins added 12 points, four assists, and five steals.
Alyssa Terza chipped in 10 points, all from beyond the arc, and the Golden Eagles collectively forced 21 steals while scoring 28 points off turnovers.
Clarion returns to action next Tuesday, when they host East Stroudsburg at 3 p.m.
