Edinboro, Pa. – The Edinboro women's basketball team used a strong second half to force overtime but dropped a 63-56 decision to No. 5 Gannon Wednesday evening inside McComb Fieldhouse.
The Scots trailed 37-31heading to the fourth quarter.
Carla Brown connected on a 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 37-34.
Ava Haddad trimmed the lead to 37-36 with a pair of free throws at the 7:27 mark. Gannon answered with a 6-2 spurt to extend the lead to 43-38 with 2:09 to play. Brown hit two free throws and
Hope Garrity a layup at 1:25 to pull within 43-42. Kate Ratliff pushed the lead to 45-42 at the 51 second mark with two free throws.
Rachael Manfredo hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the extra frame, Manfredo hit a triple on the first possession to put the Scots ahead for the first time since the games opening possession. The Golden Knights scored the next six points to take a 51-48 lead with 2:32 remaining. Manfredo tied the game with another 3-pointer at the 2:19 mark. Jordan Popyk scored the next four points for Gannon to put the Golden Knights up 55-51 with 1:17 to play. Gannon would use solid free throw shooting to hold off the Scots and earn the win.
Haddad scored on the first possession of the game for the Scots to give them an early 2-0 lead. Gannon scored the next nine points to take a 9-2 lead at the 6:31 mark on a Mia Slater layup. Edinboro answered with a 5-2 spurt to trim the lead to 11-7 with 3:13 on the clock in the first. Slater completed an and-one and Bri Claxon hit a 3-point to extend the lead to 17-7. Manfredo hit a layup and Olivia Cernuto hit a trey to give the Golden Knights a 20-9 lead after one.
The offenses slowed in the second quarter with Gannon holding a 32-13 lead after a pair of Ratiliff free throws. Haddad completed an old-school 3-point play to cut the lead to 32-16 at the break.
In the second half, Edinboro opened on a 10-4 spurt capped by a Garrity triple at the 5:13 mark to cut the advantage to 36-26. Popyk split a pair of free throws to push the lead to 37-26. The Scots closed out the quarter on a 5-0 run to trim the lead to 37-31 going to the fourth.
Manfredo netted 15 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Garrity also scored 15 points, two assists and one rebound. Haddad turned in a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Slater led the Golden Knights with 20 points and six rebounds. Popyk notched 13 points while Cernuto added 12.
The Scots are back in action on Wednesday when they host Pitt-Johnstown at 5:30 p.m. inside McComb Fieldhouse.
