ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Basketball closed an 11-point deficit to four, but the Eagles were unable to draw closer and the visiting Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen (2-2) made their free throws down the stretch to pull away to a 64-52 win.
Da'Naziah Brown and
Naomi Harris each scored nine points to pace the Eagles.
The Eagles held a 12-11 lead after one period and were up 22-21 on a
MaryKate McLaughlin lay-up with a little more than two minutes to play in the first half. The Dutchmen scored six-straight to close the half and another six points to start the second half to build a 33-22 edge that would prove to be too much to overcome.
Brown scored a pair of baskets in a 7-2 run, and
Viki Kneis and
Naomi Harris each answered LVC baskets, but the visitors still held a 41-33 lead with ten minutes to play.
Naomi Harris hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth and
Jaelyn Harris scored all seven of her points in a 90-second stretch to close the gap to 47-43.
LVC guard Allison Bimmer connected on a 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 run. The Dutchmen entered the game shooting just 2-for-31 from distance for the season, but Bimmer's dagger was her second long-range effort in as many games to thwart an Eastern comeback. On Wednesday, the rookie guard hit with 5:16 to play to put LVC up five. Today, she connected with just over six minutes to play to stretch the LVC lead to seven. LVC was 3-of-11 from 3-point range. The Eagles went 4-for-17 from deep.
The Eagles put Lebanon Valley star Emily Mealey in foul trouble early, but only managed to earn 12 free throws in the game. Mealey scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Kennedy Kuffa and Daelyn Stabler matched her point total. Kuffa also had nine rebounds.
Eastern made just 19-of-57 shots and had 24 turnovers. LVC turned those turnovers into 25 points.
With the Eagles forced to foul, the Dutchmen made 14-of-18 free throws to hold on to the lead.
"We did not have the energy we needed to have to win this game," Head Coach
Eric Houston said after the game. "We did not shoot well, and we missed some chances inside, but we could overcome that with more competitive fire and energy."
The Eagles are back in action next Thursday at Stevenson University.
