ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - In its first home game of 2024, a tough first quarter and struggles on the offensive end proved to the difference as Eastern Women's Basketball dropped a 65-42 decision to the York College Spartans on Saturday afternoon at the NEST. The Spartans (8-4, 2-0) scored the first 11 points of the game and never looked back, and the Eagles would not get any closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
York took control of the game in the first quarter, taking a 21-5 lead into the second frame. The Spartans knocked down eight of their 20 field goals in the period, while holding the Eagles to just two-of-15 from the field in the opening 10 minutes.
Taryn Woodson scored four of Eastern's five points in the frame.
The Spartans' lead hovered between 13 and 19 points in the second quarter. Five straight points from
Jeriyah Johnson, including a three-pointer, cut the York advantage to 15 with 3:37 to play in the first half. However, the Spartans scored six of the next eight points, including a layup in the waning seconds, to take a 36-19 lead into the halftime break.
The Eagles battled late in the third quarter, trimming the Spartans' lead to 12.
Jakaylah Holland knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:16 remaining in the frame, and a
Camila Sosa three off a Holland made it a 44-32 York lead with 1:35 on the clock. However, the Spartans staved off the rally and took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter.The Spartans controlled the fourth quarter, outscoring the Eagles 17-8 to secure their second conference win of the season.
Three Eagles - Sosa, Johnson, and
Miranda Liebtag - finished with nine points in the contest. Sosa added five rebounds and three steals, while Liebtag collected three board, one assist, and one block. Holland finished with eight points and six rebounds, five on the offensive glass, off the bench.
For the contest, Eastern shot just 16-of-57 (28.1 percent) from the field and two-of-13 (15.4 percent) from beyond the arc. Additionally, the Eagles turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 22 Spartan points.
Eastern (5-7, 1-1) will travel down the Blue Route on Wednesday for a MAC Commonwealth showdown with Widener in Chester. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm.
