RADNOR, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Basketball trailed 62-44 with nine minutes to play but rallied to pull within a single possession before falling 72-70 to the Widener University Pride in what turned out to be their only game in the Cabrini Holiday Classic. Regie Robinson scored nine of her 17 points in the final quarter as Eagles outscored the Pride 28-12 over the final ten minutes.

Widener (6-5) built an 18-point lead with a 20-4 run over the final seven minutes of the third period. Da'Naziah Brown, who finished with a career-high 13 points, made the only Eastern field goal in that stretch. The Eagles went 1-for-7 from the floor and 1-for-4 from the foul line with five turnovers in that stretch.

The Eagles (3-7) used the break between the periods to refocus their attack and to gather more defensive energy. After the two teams traded baskets to start the frame, the Eagles found Robinson in good spaces and the junior forward put the Widener defense under pressure. The Pride fouled Robinson four times in the final period and the Eagles were in the bonus early.

As important, Robinson's attacking opened up opportunities for other shooters. Taylor Price capped the 13-0 run with her second 3-pointer of the day. The Pride answered with a pair of free throws, but Taylor Azer had a momentary opening from behind the arc after good ball movement at the other end. A Widener defender hit her in the act of shooting, and the senior guard made all three free throws to close the gap to 64-60 with three minutes to play.

After a pair of Widener misses from the line, the Eagles found Robinson slashing to the basket, and again she was sent to the line. She made both foul shots to pull the Eagles to within two with two and a half minutes to play. After Widener scored the next four points, the Eagles needed a score and a stop in the final minute and a half. Brown hit a long 2-pointer before the Eagles put together a great defensive stand to force a shot-clock violation at the other end.

Robinson put a put-back shot to close the gap to two points again, but the Eagles had to foul, and the Pride forward Kyra Schenk hit two free throws. After Price hit a lay-up with nine seconds left, the Eagles again had to foul and Widener's Allison Gallagher hit two more free throws for a 72-68 edge with seven seconds to play. Price hit a floater to close the gap to 72-70, but time had run out on the Eastern rally.

The Pride jumped out to a 26-12 lead to start the game, but the Eagles closed the gap to 38-32 at halftime. Azer led the Eagles with nine points in the first half. She finished with a game-high 18 points.

Robinson added ten rebounds and four assists to her 17-point total, and Price finished with 12. Madison Ireland led the Pride with 17.

For the first time this year, Amanda Riiff did not make a 3-pointer in a game. That stops a string of 11-straight games where she has hit at least one long-range shot. She recently moved into third-place on Eastern's career 3-pointer made list and had made at least one 3-pointer in 33 of the team's 36 games over the past two seasons.

The Eagles begin MAC Freedom play at home against DeSales on Wednesday. The women's game will be the second game of the doubleheader with the men.