Despite Strong Game from Karns City Grad Emily Hegedus, Clarion U. Women’s Hoops Falls on Road

| November 14, 2019


WEST LIBERTY, Pa. – The Clarion women’s basketball team nearly erased a 24-point third-quarter lead, but the Golden Eagles could not quite finish off the comeback in an 84-76 loss at West Liberty on Wednesday evening.

(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)

Clarion (0-3) will host their home opener a week from today when Davis & Elkins comes to Tippin Gymnasium.

Emily Hegedus went off for 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, with the sophomore guard playing a team-high 37 minutes. Three other Golden Eagles joined her in double-digits, with Jada Smith posting 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds, Ke’Airah Massiah scoring 12 points, and Yndiah Bobo adding 12.

The Golden Eagles trailed 52-35 at the halftime break, and the Hilltoppers lead by as many as 24 points in the third quarter before Clarion started its comeback rally. They knocked the advantage down to 15 points at the end of the third quarter and pulled to within seven points late in the fourth quarter, but West Liberty had built a large enough cushion that they held on for the win.

Massiah scored the first bucket of the game and at one point put Clarion ahead 10-5 with a make in the first quarter. She scored another bucket with 4:14 remaining in the first period to put the Golden Eagles ahead 13-12, but West Liberty regained the advantage on the next offensive possession and held a 22-17 lead after the first quarter. They bumped that lead to 17 points at the halftime break thanks to a 30-18 performance, making it 52-35.

The comeback effort started in the third quarter as the Golden Eagles held even with the Hilltoppers. Celeste Ryman pulled down a defensive rebound and took it the other way for a bucket to make it 65-49, and Bobo scored with 21 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 73-58. Smith cut the lead to 12 points at the 8:31 mark of the fourth quarter, and Hegedus made it 75-65 on a putback less than a minute later. She added another transition bucket at the 2:18 mark, with Smith swiping the ball from Morgan Brunner and dishing it to Hegedus for the make. Olivia Boocks came off the bench for a three-pointer at the 35-second mark, making it 81-74, but the Hilltoppers added a late free throw to seal the game.


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