CLARION, Pa. --- Despite a strong first half effort that led to a three-possession lead at the halftime break, the Golden Eagles women's basketball team could not keep up the pressure on nationally ranked Gannon on Saturday, falling 69-58 to the 23^rd-ranked Golden Knights at Tippin Gymnasium on Senior Day.
 
Clarion took the lead after a tight first quarter and opened things up in the second, holding the Golden Knights to just two field goals in that quarter and taking an eight-point lead at the halftime break.  Bri Claxton scored in the paint with 7:09 left to go in the first half to cut the Golden Eagles' lead to 20-18 but that would be the last shot from the field Gannon made until Claxton hit a three-pointer 42 seconds into the third quarter. Senior Siara Conley scored from close range on two straight possessions to make it 24-19, and Zoe Guice sank four straight free throws to give Clarion a 28-19 edge.
 
DayLynn Thornton – another of the three Clarion seniors honored on Saturday – hit a midrange J in the paint to make it 32-24, and Hannah Wilkerson made two free throws down the stretch to keep it a three-possession game.
 
Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, the same type of drought that befell the Golden Knights in the second quarter struck them in the third. Gannon scored 15 straight points to open the third quarter, and Clarion was held without a field goal until a pull-up jumper by Autumn Taylor went through with 1:43 left to play in the period. Taylor caught fire down the stretch, hitting a bucket in the paint and making two free throws just before the end of the third to slice Gannon's deficit to 49-46.
 
The sophomore guard nailed another trey early in the fourth quarter, briefly tying the game at 49-49, and Conley scored with 4:31 left in regulation to keep the game within two possessions at 61-57. The Golden Knight defense kept up their pressure on the perimeter for the remainder of the game, though, holding Clarion without another make from the field and winning by double-digits.
 
Bolstered by three treys and an efficient shooting day, Taylor led the Golden Eagles with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while also adding four rebounds, two steals and two assists. Conley had 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Malayziah Etheredge, the Golden Eagles' third senior to be honored on Saturday, had a bucket, two rebounds and an assist.
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