T. DAVIDS, Pa. - Despite a furious rally in the fourth quarter, Eastern Women's Basketball trailed from horn to horn in a 67-63 loss to the Widener Pride on Wednesday night at The NEST. Trailing by eight with just over a minute left to play, the Eagles went on a 7-2 run over the next 30 seconds, capping it off with an Adriana Summersett three with 12 ticks left. Eastern (5-9, 0-3), however, would not draw any closer, as Widener (11-4, 1-2), despite missing three free throws down the stretch, hit the last one to escape with a four-point win.

Trailing 64-56, Jeriyah Johnson began the run with a free throw, before a steal from Ariyana Hester and a subsequent layup from Sophia Vera cut the deficit to five. The Eagles recorded another steal, this one from Tychelle Gordon, and the first-year center hit 1-of-2 from the line to make it 64-60. The Eagles had a chance on their following possession, but were unable to capitalize on a three-point attempt, turning the ball over in the process.

Widener capitalized on their next possession as Giada Palmieri converted a layup to put the Pride back up by six, but Summersett answered four seconds later with a triple from the top of the key to make it a one-possession game. That was the last shot that the Eagles took in the contest. Eastern secured a defensive rebound with a chance to go up the floor in the waning seconds, but another turnover and foul put Pride at the line. After missing her first attempt, Widener's Liliana Metrick knocked down her second to secure the win for Widener.

Eastern played from behind from the opening tip due in large part to a slow start in the first quarter. The Pride jumped out to a 8-0 lead before Gordon converted a layup with 5:36 to play in the frame, and the Pride increased their advantage to 14-4 on a layup from Lindsay Kutz with 3:39 on the clock. The Eagles, however, came roaring back, tying the game at 14-14 with a 10-point run. Johnson scored nine of those points, converting on a jumper, a pair of threes, and a tip-in. Palmieri answered on Widener's next possession with a layup, and the Pride took a 17-15 lead into the second quarter.

The Eagles continued to battle in the second frame, trimming the Pride advantage to one point twice, but Widener had an answer each time. After a three-pointer from Dominique Geiger made it 23-22, Palmieri once again hit a layup on Widener's ensuing possession to push the lead back to three. Seconds later, Johnson hit a pair from the charity stripe to make it 25-24, but Widener responded again with a Breelyn Leary three. Hester scored in the paint and Damiyae Moyet hit one free throw in the quarter's latter stages, but the Pride held on take a three-point lead into the halftime break.

The Eastern offense went cold in the third quarter. The Eagles hit just three of their 15 field goal attempts and scored only nine points. The Pride countered with 17 points in the frame, building their advantage to as many as 13 before a Madeline Wylie tip-in made it a 49-38 Widener lead heading into what would become a phrenetic final frame.

The Eagles scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and shot 50 percent from the floor. Eastern cut its deficit to four in the early stages of the frame, before Widener built it back up to 10 with 4:26 left to play. A layup from Moyet and a Summersett three made it a two-possession game again with 2:42 remaining, but the Pride again answered to push the advantage back to seven leading into the final 1:24. The Eagles battled until the final whistle, but their last rally came up just one possession short before Metrick's game-icing free throw.

Johnson led the way for the Eagles with 19 points, shooting six-of-12 from the field and two-of-four from beyond the arc. Summersett ended the night with 10 points, while Gordon added 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Eastern will be on the road Sunday to take on the Stevenson Mustangs. Tip-off is set for 1:00 pm.