ST. DAVIDS, Pa.— Eastern University Women's Basketball battled throughout, but the visiting and league-leading Messiah University Falcons closed the game on a 13-to-4 run to secure a 59-50 MAC Commonwealth win. Jeriyah Johnson led the Eagles with 19 points.

The Eagles (7-15, 2-9) scored the final eight points of the half to emerge with a 21-18 lead going to the break. The defensive struggle featured the Eagles winning the first-half battle on the boards 23-17 and holding the Falcons to only two second-chance points. Both teams hit only a single 3-pointer and with no-one getting an uncontested shot at either end the two teams were only 16-of-56 combined (29 %).

All that changed in the third quarter. The Falcons hit five 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half. The Eagles also shot well in the stretch, but they made only a pair of deep shots and were down 35-33 at the midpoint of the quarter.

Sophia Vera tied the score with a tough lay-up, but the Falcons again answered and led 37-36 after Johnson split a pair at the line.

When the Falcons (18-4, 10-1) closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run, to lead 46-36, the Eagles did not blink. Coach Fowler's young squad absorbed the 28-point quarter and had an answer. They scored the first ten points of the fourth to tie the game at 46.

Liv Monturo. Messiah's leading scorer converted a three-point play with four minutes left to put the Falcons up three. Ariyana Hester scored on a drive to close the gap to one, but Messiah made the last burst and the Eagles did not have time to answer.

With her 17th double-digit scoring effort of the year, Johnson moves to within seven points of Bekah Rolund on Eastern's career scoring list.

The Eagles won the battle on the boards by a 41-36 margin, but the Falcons leveled the gap with 14 second-chance points after halftime.

Eastern will travel to York on Saturday before finishing the year with games against Alvernia and Hood.