CENTER VALLEY, Pa.--Eastern University Women's Basketball (12-4, 4-2 Freedom) dropped a hard-faught 65-61 contest at DeSales University had never won in Billera Hall.The Bulldogs scored 14 of the game's final 22 points to grab the important Freedom Conference result.
From the outset, the four-time Freedom Champion Bulldogs (9-8, 4-2 Freedom) committed to slowing down first-year sensation Meghan Nowak. Nowak managed only five shot attempts in the opening twenty minutes, but she converted four for 10 points. Nonetheless, the strategy seemed to be working as the Bulldogs held a 23-20 lead with 4:43 remaining in the half.
Jones then grabbed control of the game on a 12-2 run. The senior All-American drained two straight 3-pointers and set up fellow senior Lori Wileczek for an open 3-pointer from the wing. Seconds later, Jones drove past her initial defender and powered home a tough lay-up for a three-point play. Jones made 7-11 shots to lead all scorers with 17 at the break.
The Bulldogs closed the seven-point deficit to 34-31 just before the break, and they rode that momentum to a 40-35 after only three minutes had elapsed in the second half. With Jones and Nowak bottled up by physical switching defense in the paint, the Eagles needed another source of offense. Katie Lincoln buried a contested three with the shot-clock running down to tie the game at 44-44 with nine minutes left. The sophomore guard connected on two more from the opposite corner, and Nowak split a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a 53-51 lead with 4:11 on the clock.
DeSales then tied the game and grabbed the lead on five straight points from Alexiah Grant. She scored a floater in transition and then converted a careless inbounds pass into a three from the corner.
Shante Jones scored in the paint to cut the deficit to 56-55, but the Bulldogs made enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Jones finished with a game-high 27 points, and Nowak added 16 and 10 rebounds. Grant led four DeSales players in double-figures with 15.
The Eagles, who shot only 32% from the floor in the second half, made 8-of-12 foul shots for the game. The Bulldogs converted 17-of-26 from the charity stripe.
The Eagles return to action at Wilkes University on Wednesday evening.
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