ST. DAVIDS, Pa.- Eastern University Women's Basketball held off the visiting Manhattanville College Valiants to open the Freedom Conference season with a 62-59 win. Meghan Nowak scored 17 and Kaitlyn Dougherty had 14 to lead the Eagles.

While Dougherty and Nowak led the Eagles in scoring for the day, the baskets in the critical final five minutes of play came from three other players. Gina DiDomenico scored all seven of her points in the final five minutes, and Kelsie Patton had a pair of assists and a critical 3-pointer in that same stretch. Reilly Gavitt also hit a tough 15-footer.

The first twenty minutes of the game saw both teams scoring with great efficiency. Nowak had 14 points at the intermission on only seven shots. The Eagles made 6-of-12 from behind the arc and shot 52.8 percent from the floor on their way to a 40-35 lead at halftime.

Patton, who was doing her study-abroad experience in the early part of the semester, made her home debut in the final 90 seconds of the half. She entered with the Eagles up 33-32 and on her first possession made a strong move to the hoop and finished with her left hand. After Manhattanville's Bri Pabon tied the game with a 3-pointer, Patton drove the lane and kicked a picture-perfect pass to Tieara Nichelson in the corner. Nichelson hit from distance to give Eastern a three point edge. Nowak finished the run with a pair of free throws just before time expired.

Manhattanville shot on 44 percent in the half, but the guests grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and forced 11 Eastern turnovers to stay in the game. Taylor Wilson scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half, and Alyson Caiazzo scored nine points and grabbed five offensive rebounds. Caiazzo matched Nowak's 17 and 10 scoreline for the contest. the Manhattnaville center grabbed eight of her rebounds on the offensive end.

As much as the first half was fluid and attacking, the second half was clunky. Neither team could find a rhythm offensively and both squads had serious foul troubles for key offensive players. The Eagles scored only five points in the first 14 minutes of the period, but still only trailed by three. Gavitt connected on a pair of free throws with six minutes to play to cut the Manhattanville lead to 48-47, but Jen Mcsharer answered with a pair of free throws at the other end to put the Valiants back up three.

Patton, who had just checked into the game, made her mark again. The sophomore guard came off a high screen from Nowak on the left side of the floor and snapped a bounce pass into the path of a cutting DiDomenico to bring the Eagles within one. After a Manhattanville miss at the other end,  DiDomenico returned the favor with a nice crosscourt find of Patton for a 3-pointer and the lead. 

Wilson tied the game at 52-52 after an Eastern turnover, and Gavitt connected on another DiDomenico pass to retake the lead. In response for the Valiants, Caiazzo missed a pair of free throws but dug out an offensive rebound and dropped in a layup for another tie.

DiDomenico hit a 3-pointer from the wing on Patton's final assist of the day, but Bri Pabon connected on a triple at the other end to tie the contest for the 12th and final time. After failing to find the range from three in the first four games of the year, Pabon made 2-of 4 from long range and finished with 13 points. 

Nowak made 3-of-4 foul shots, and DiDomenico sunk a pair to hold on for the win.

The Eagles (2-3, 1-0 Freedom) return to action Saturday at Delaware Valley College. 

Box Score