CLARION, Pa. – A cold shooting night was too much for the Clarion University women’s basketball team to overcome in a 60-41 loss to visiting East Stroudsburg Wednesday.(Photo: Freshman Amesha Harden-Pullium)
The Golden Eagles (1-8 overall, 0-5 PSAC West) connected on just 29.1 percent (16 of 55) of their shots including only hitting 7 of 26 in the first half.
East Stroudsburg (3-6, 2-4 PSAC East) wasn’t much better from the field hitting 31.6 percent of its attempts (18 of 57). But the Warriors made up for it at the free-throw line connecting on 19 of 25 free throws compared to 7 of 12 for Clarion. ESU also outrebounded the Golden Eagles, who were playing without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Hannah Heeter who was injured toward the end of Tuesday’s game with Bloomsburg, 46-35 and outscored Clarion 17-6 on second-chance points.
Freshman Amesha Harden-Pullium led Clarion with a career-best 10 points to go with three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Tania Holmes added eight points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds, and Jasmine Boyd had eight points and six rebounds. Delrika Jones-Carey added 10 caroms.
Andrea Veres paced East Stroudsburg with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench. Kelsey Murray added 10 points and Allison Howard 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Clarion got off to a 7-4 early lead before a 13-0 East Stroudsburg run gave the Warriors the lead for good and helped East Stroudsburg take a 29-17 lead at halftime.
An 11-4 run by the Warriors at the start of the second half expanded the lead to 19, 40-21, midway through the second half before Clarion fought back and closed within 10, 40-30, with a 9-0 run that saw Holmes score five points.
But East Stroudsburg answered with a 12-1 run of its own to put the lead back to 21, 52-31, with five minutes left.
Clarion returns to action at 1 p.m. Saturday at West Chester.
