ST. DAVIDS, Pa. — Eastern University Women's Basketball was seconds away from a season-spit with Stevenson, but the visiting Mustangs hit a late 3-pointer to force overtime and eventually emerged with a 64-61 win. The Eagles (7-14, 2-8) scored the first 13 points of the game and held Stevenson to 1-of-15 from the floor in the first quarter.
Stevenson led 50-47 with three minutes left in regulation.
Jeriyah Johnson scored a tough inside basket to pull the Eagles to within a point with 2:24 on the clock. After several good defensive sequences, Johnson put the Eagles up a point with another tough inside shot. The Eagles again dialed up the defense, and
Ariyana Hester cleared the rebound with 30 seconds left.
The Mustangs needed to foul to get the ball back, and with only one team foul, they committed four fouls in a six second span. The referees looked at the final hard foul for a potential flagrant foul and opted instead for a common foul. Johnson made both shots, but the Mustangs had a chance to tie.
They took that chance. Anaya Price came off a high screen and hit a deep 3-pointer to tie the game. Johnson's shot at a game-winner fell short and the game went to overtime.
After Johnson split a pair at the line to start the overtime, Price answered. With Price picking up her second, third, and fourth personal fouls in the last seconds of regulation. The Eagles went to
Ariyana Hester and briefly took the lead on a lay-in from the left side.
The Mustangs made the next two baskets and had control of the flow of the game. Though Hester scored five more points, Stevenson was good enough at the foul line to hold on for the win. Price made the final free throw of the game and finished with 22. Hester had a career-high 16 to lead the Eagles.
Eastern's strong start put them in command early, and they led for over 30 minutes of the contest, but the Mustangs started the second quarter well and went up for a few seconds on an Price lay-up with 1:17 on the clock.
Jeriyah Johnson and
Madeline Wylie scored the final two baskets of the first half to put the Eagles up 29-25 at half.
Johnson finished the game with 15 points and four assists.
Tychelle Gordon had nine points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Since the two teams became league opponents in 2021, the two sides have never split a season series. The Eagles won four games in a row from 2023-2024, but Stevenson has won the last four games in the series.
The Eagles will host the league-leading Messiah Falcons on Wednesday.
