BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Golden Eagle women's basketball team opened up the 2026-27 season with a victory as Clarion (1-0) defeated D'Youville (0-1) 69-50 on Tuesday. The double-digit road victory was highlighted by a 10-0 third-quarter run that stretched a 10-point lead to 20.
The Golden Eagles finished with a 49-36 rebounding advantage and scored 20 points off 21 Saints turnovers. A huge discrepancy at the free throw line benefitted the Golden Eagles, with Clarion shooting 11 of 14 at the charity stripe while the Saints went 14 of 29.
Christiana Gordon scored a team-high 19 points, made three 3-pointers and recorded four steals. Alyssa Terza finished with a double-double consisting of 12 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Nylah McShan had her own double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Amaya Evans collected four rebounds and tallied three steals.
The Golden Eagles built separation in the first quarter with early 3-pointers from Gordon and Aundraya Neavins, then added inside finishes and second-chance scoring. Terza assisted both early 3-pointers and had a tip-in as the Golden Eagles shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and held a 17-8 rebounding edge. Gordon's 3-pointer with 40 seconds left pushed the score to 25-10, and the Golden Eagles carried that margin to the end of the quarter.
The Golden Eagles closed the second quarter by holding the Saints scoreless after the 2:45 mark, with Evans adding two free throws and Terza finishing a layup in the final minute. The defensive finish helped the Golden Eagles offset 10 turnovers in the quarter and take a 39-27 lead into halftime.
The Golden Eagles used a 10-0 run late in the third quarter, holding the Saints scoreless from 4:38 to 1:40 while pushing their advantage to 55-35. Terza hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the stretch, both assisted by Neavins, and Gordon added a steal and fast-break layup. The Golden Eagles finished the quarter ahead 57-38.
McShan accounted for the Golden Eagles' last nine points in the fourth quarter, starting with a layup at 3:51 and adding two more layups before a tip-in and free throw at 0:32. The Golden Eagles also limited the Saints to 4-for-14 shooting in a 12-12 quarter and closed out a 69-50 win.
