GREENSBURG, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles women's basketball team went into a hostile environment and went toe-to-toe with Seton Hill for four quarters, but the Griffins pulled out a 84-72 win at the McKenna Center on Monday night in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament.
 
The final margin belied the intense, physical game between the Golden Eagles and the Griffins; Clarion led 64-63 with 4:41 left to play in regulation and were within two possessions with under two minutes to play. In fact, the Golden Eagles led for much of the game, going up by as many as eight points near the end of the third quarter.
 
The Griffins took control of the game in the fourth quarter, limiting the Golden Eagles to 4-of-16 shooting from the field in the final 10 minutes. They sparked a 10-0 run at the end of the third quarter that carried deep into the fourth, taking a 63-61 lead after a three-pointer from Hallie Cowan. Zoé Bayer broke the drought with a three-pointer near the halfway point of the quarter, putting the Golden Eagles back ahead by a point. The native of France struck again with 3:20 on the clock, spinning in the post and laying one in to tie the game at 66.
 
What followed was a 10-1 run for Seton Hill, putting the Griffins ahead 76-67. Arianna Seitz made a putback in the lane to pull the deficit down to seven points, but the Griffins were strong at the line down the stretch to seal the win.
 
Aundraya Neavins was a standout, particularly in the first half. The freshman guard shot 7-of-11 from the field for 18 points while also logging four rebounds and two steals. Bayer and Arianna Seitz each recorded 16 points, with Seitz making three treys and pulling down 11 rebounds for the double-double. Alyssa Terza had seven points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
 
The first quarter was highlighted by up and down action as both teams looked to push the pace. Alyssa Terza put Clarion ahead for the first time with a three-pointer on the fast break, taking a pass out of the right corner from Arianna Seitz and burying it to make it 12-10. Aundraya Neavins extended the lead to 17-13 with another fast break trey, with Zoé Bayer springing her with a down court pass.
 
An 8-0 run for the Griffins put the home team back ahead, though Neavins quickly tied it with a layup. She tacked on two free throws with 32.7 seconds left to make it a 23-21 lead, capping a 12-point effort in the first quarter.
 
Both teams stiffened on defense at the start of the second quarter as Seton Hill took a 28-25 lead through three minutes. Averi Brozeski cut the deficit to one point with a corner three midway through the quarter, making it 33-32. Zoe Guice scored on a hoop-and-harm with 4:37 to go in the quarter, sinking the free throw to give the Golden Eagles a 35-33 lead.

The Griffins knotted up the score with 1:48 to play after an and-one by Mia Kalich, and the teams traded charges on the subsequent two possessions to keep things even. The Griffins scored just as time expired in the first half, with Hallie Cowan driving the lane to make it 42-40 at the break.
 
The bucket trading extended well into the third quarter, with the Griffins taking a 49-47 lead with 6:02 left after a make from Mia Kalich. Guice tied it up with a floater in the lane 30 seconds later, and Bayer drained a fast break three after Terza pulled down a defensive board in traffic and kicked it ahead.
 
Both teams went on an extended scoring drought late in the quarter, with Clarion going ahead 54-53 on a make by Terza. The sophomore forward forced a turnover on the next possession and then drew a foul, making two free throws to up the lead to 56-53. Bayer made it a 6-0 run with a post move and bucket in the paint, and Guice drew a foul on a layup with 12.9 seconds left to extend the lead to eight points.
 
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