GREENSBURG, Pa. — The Golden Eagles women's basketball team put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell to Seton Hill, 112-96, at the McKenna Center. Despite powering through with an impressive 68 points in the paint and forcing a solid 25 turnovers, the Golden Eagles couldn't overcome the Griffins' dominance on the boards, which translated into 23 second-chance points.
Leading the charge for Clarion was
Arianna Seitz, who racked up 23 points, nailed 8 of 9 free throws, and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Zoe Guice was a force with 19 points, five steals, and five assists. Zoé Bayer chipped in with 18 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while
Niah Smedley added 11 points and two blocks before fouling out.
The game kicked off with the Golden Eagles soaring as Smedley, with an assist from Guice, landed a layup just 19 seconds in. They quickly took an 8–4 lead thanks to efforts from Seitz and Smedley. However, the Griffins retaliated with swift fast breaks and dominating paint presence. Despite a block by Bayer, Clarion struggled with 13 turnovers in the first quarter. Seton Hill took advantage of these errors, pulling ahead to a 39–18 lead by the end of the first.
In the second quarter, Clarion fought back, starting with a series of layups from Guice to shrink the gap to 62-41. The Golden Eagles kept pace with the Griffins throughout, each side adding 23 points in the quarter. Clarion's balanced attack and defensive grit kept them in the game, but the half ended with Seton Hill leading 62-41.
The third quarter saw the Golden Eagles come out strong defensively, with Guice blocking a shot at 9:50 and Seitz grabbing the rebound. Seitz then turned defense into offense with a fast-break layup at 8:04, assisted by Guice. Despite these bright spots, Seton Hill maintained their lead, outscoring Clarion 27–20 in the quarter.
In a spirited fourth quarter, Clarion poured in 35 points, led by Seitz's clutch shooting, including a three-pointer at 7:07. Guice continued to shine, scoring and setting up her teammates, as seen in her layup assisted by Smedley at 5:31. Despite this offensive surge, the Griffins kept their composure, capitalizing on key turnovers to seal their 112–96 victory.
