GLENSIDE, Pa. - The Arcadia University women's basketball program capped its 2021 season Thursday night in a hard-fought defeat that came down to the final possession, as Alvernia bested the Knights in the MAC Crossover Challenge, 54-52.

Julia Makowski led the Knights with 21 points - her second 20-point game of the season while ending the year scoring in double figures in ten of 11 games - while Holly Daveski added 12 of her own. Sidney Barrer had a team-high 11 rebounds in the effort.

The Knights finish the 2021 season 6-5 with a 5-3 mark in its first season in the MAC Freedom.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Knights and Golden Wolves remained within one possession of each other for a vast majority of the opening quarter, but a 7-3 run over the final two minutes - including five from Makowski - lifted Arcadia to a one-point lead after the first ten minutes.

-Arcadia opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run to jump out to a game-high 11-point lead powered by five points from Barrer on a pair of layups and a free throw. The Golden Wolves battled back to even the score at 29-all with just under two minutes remaining in the half before taking a one-point lead at the break, 32-31.

-The Golden Wolves built on their lead to begin the second half, leading by as many as ten, but Taylor Fritz and Scarlett Glasser-Nehls capped the quarter with a field goals to cut the deficit to six heading into the final frame.

-Makowski pieced together a 5-0 run of her own to begin the fourth - part of a 9-0 Knight run to begin the quarter - before Fritz put the Knights back out in front, 47-46, with a layup in the lane. The two sides drew even at 49 with two minutes remaining in regulation before trading trips to the line, resulting in a 51-50 Alvernia lead. With fouls still to give, the Knights sent the Golden Wolves to the line with 16 seconds remaining and hit one-of-two, allowing Arcadia to draw up a play for the tie. After an errant jumper from the left side was collected by Daveski in the paint, the junior went right up with it for the game-tying lay-in, leaving 2.6 seconds on the game clock.

-Alvernia advanced the ball to their offensive end with a full timeout and the inbounds play was successful, as Cathryn Kramer hit the game-winning layup as time expired.

KNIGHT LEADERS
-Points: Makowski 21, Daveski 12
-Assists: Barrer 2
-Rebounds: Barrer 11, Makowski 8, Fritz 6
-Blocks: Fritz/Makowski
-Steals: Four tied with two

TEAM COMPARISON
-The Knights were near perfect from the free throw line, converting on 12-of-13 attempts (92.3%)
-Arcadia won the battle on the boards, 51-43.
-The Knights caused 20 Alvernia turnovers and converted those chances into 23 points.