READING, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Basketball cut an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to three, but the Eagles were unable to overtake the host Albright College Lions (2-0) in a 59-49 loss. Viki Kneis, Da'Naziah Brown, and Mikayla Wright each reached double-figures in the loss. 

With COVID protocols in place, the 2021 season will have a different feel for all MAC basketball programs. To limit exposures and maximize playing opportunities, teams will play home-and-home series with each opponent on back-to-back nights. In most years, teams have extensive time to make changes and may have different players available for the second game in the league series. As this is not the case this year, Eastern and Albright played a first half that almost looked like a continuation of last night's contest. 

Through the opening 20 minutes, the Eagles (0-2) struggled from the floor, shooting just 9-of-29 (31%) and not connecting on any of five shots from long range. Even so, Eastern held a 23-22 lead with a minute to play before Albright's Maggie O'Hare connected on a 3-pointer, the first successful long-range effort by either team, with under a minute left in the half. O'Hare backed up that effort with the first 12 Albright points of the third period.  

The Eagles went to the locker room down 25-23 in part because they forced the taller Lions into 10 first-half turnovers and did not allow the hosts to go to the foul line. Kneis had 11 points at halftime.

O'Hare's breakout in the third looked to be the difference in the game, including her 3-pointer to end the half, O'Hare lifted her squad from a two-point deficit into a 37-25 lead with six minutes left in the third. 

Wright, who missed nearly the entire second quarter with foul difficulty, scored the first six Eastern points of the second half. MaryKate McLaughlin scored a pair of second-chance baskets in the final 70 seconds of the third to close the Albright lead to eight points with ten minutes to play. 

Eastern twice cut the Albright lead to seven points early in the fourth, but the Lions restored the edge to 49-38 with 6:16 to play. The Eagles found strength to make a push. It started with two different trips to the foul line for Jaelyn Harris and a good finish in the post by Wright. Jaelyn Harris cut the deficit to four with a 3-pointer from the corner off a dish from Kneis. That shot was the first basket outside the paint for the Eagles on the evening. 

Albright's Gabby Boggs found her way to the basket for a lay-up, but Brown calmly sank a 3-pointer to close the gap to 51-48. The Eagles earned a stop with a steal from Wright, but Jaelyn Harris had a contested lay-up roll with pressure from both the Albright defenders and the shot clock. Albright capitalized with a 3-pointer on their next possession and the Eagles were unable to get a field goal to fall the rest of the way.

Kneis finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, four assists, and two steals, Brown also finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Wright finished with ten points. Boggs led the Lions with 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting. O'Hare and Brady Wassel joined her in double-figures with 15 and 12 points respectively. Albright enjoyed a 43-32 edge on the glass. 

The Eagles will return to action at Lebanon Valley College (0-2) next Thursday. Eastern beat the Dutchmen 59-56 in the 2019-20 season. Lebanon Valley dropped both games to defending Commonwealth Champion Messiah this week.