ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – In a final game before the Thanksgiving Break, Eastern University Women's Basketball dropped a tough 60-53 decision to the visiting Immaculata University Mighty Macs. Jeriyah Johnson scored a game-high 18 points, and Taryn Woodson posted a double-double with ten points and 13 rebounds. 

The Mighty Macs (3-3) got 39 points off the bench and used big runs at the end of the second and third quarters to pull away to leads. 

When Ebony Johnson split a pair of free throws with 3:17 on the clock in the third, the Eagles trailed 38-35. Immaculata scored the next nine points to stretch the lead to 12 before Wynter Bess hit a lay-up with four seconds left to close out the period. Kayla Worsley-Wooten stole the inbounds pass and hit a fifteen-footer just after the buzzer. 

The Eagles scored the first four points of the fourth quarter but still trailed 53-43 with three minutes to play. Jeriyah Johnson hit a pair of free throws and Jakaylah Holland scored a tough floater in transition before Ebony Johnson connected on two more free throws to pull the Eagles to within four points with a minute to play. 

The Mighty Macs converted a pair of free throws, but Ebony Johnson scored on a put-back basket to again close the gap. The Mighty Macs made their free throws down the stretch to close out the win. Though the Eagles were 4-for-15 from the floor in the final frame, they still won the period by making all eight foul shots and forcing seven Immaculata turnovers. Ebony Johnson was 7-for-8 from the foul line and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Woodson added five steals, two assists, and two blocks to her double-double. 

Eastern shot 5-for-10 from the floor in the first quarter and trailed 14-12. The Eagles were nearly as efficient from the floor in the second with 5-of-11 shooting, but a rash of turnovers late led to a 17-to-4 Immaculata run over the final five minutes that flipped a four-point lead to a nine-point deficit. In the half court, the Eagles got shots inside and were able to hit three 3-pointers on good inside-out plays. Eastern had seven assists on ten made baskets. 

"We did a lot of things well," Head Coach Eric Houston said after the game. "When we were able to get into the half court, Ebony and Taryn worked well together and Jeriyah hit shots. We need to keep taking steps forward to eliminate turnovers and to avoid the careless fouls that hurt us in the first half. Today was a step forward. We kept fighting, and I am proud of the way we battled back. Our shooting percentage slipped in the second half because we had to force up some threes, but I love that we made our free throwsand kept fighting."

The Eagles (1-3) will host Catholic on Nov. 30.