The fourth-seeded Eisenhower Knights gave No. 1 Northwestern everything they had, but lost a heartbreaker 38-36 to see their season come to a close Wednesday in a District 10 Class 3A semifinal at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

The game started out very physical and the Knights came out ready to play. With University of Arizona signee Makayla Presser-Palmer guarding California University of Pennsylvania signee Clara Steinberg, the two of them started slowly.

Eisenhower’s Lainey Font took full advantage.

Font was deadly all season on 3-pointers and Wednesday night was no exception, as she drained two and Clara Steinberg added 6 points in the opening quarter to send the Knights to a 15-10 lead heading into the second quarter.

Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger Knights head coach D.J. Steinberg talks to his team during a break in the action.

Palmer began to heat up, as she led the Wildcats with 10 points, and Northwestern kept Steinberg in check to take a 24-22 halftime lead.

The third quarter saw the Knights’ defense tighten up as they held Palmer to just 4 points and took a 29-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

The final period saw both teams slow down their offenses and be patient with the ball as they looked for open shots.

As the clock reached 1:40 remaining, the game was tied at 34-34. Eisenhower took possession and Laney Belcher found teammate Samantha Childs open underneath the hoop for 2 points to give the Knights a 36-34 lead with 55 seconds left on the clock.

Palmer took a pass at the top of the 3-point arc, stepped back, and drained a 3-pointer to put her team up 37-36 with 37.8 seconds left.

The Knights were unable to connect on a shot and quickly fouled Molly Kulyk, who sank a free throw to give her team the two-point win.

Palmer led all scorers with 25 points while Font led Eisenhower with 16 points.

Eisenhower ends its season with a 15-9 mark while Northwestern continues with a 20-3 record.

“The girls played well and executed the game plan,” Eisenhower head coach D.J. Steinberg said. “We just came up a little short. I couldn’t be prouder of their effort tonight.”

Northwestern head coach Steve Sawin had a look of relief on his face after the game.

“That is one good basketball team,” he said. “They were our toughest opponent all season, great athletes and well coached.”

For Eisenhower, the seniors have certainly left their mark on the program. They turned around a program that struggled for years to find wins. They leave with four straight playoff appearances, multiple playoff wins, an appearance in the PIAA state playoffs, and two 1,000-point scorers in Font and Clara Steinberg. Steinberg herself leaves as the all-time girls scoring leader in Warren County.

“I am a proud coach tonight of all of the girls on this team,” Coach Steinberg said. “I am grateful for all that these seniors have accomplished and to be role models for all of the little girls in our program.”

EISENHOWER (36)

Font 6 0 16, Childs 3 0 6, Belcher 1 2 4, Robinault 2 0 4, Steinberg 2 2 6. Totals 14 4 36.

NORTHWESTERN (38)

Mitchell 0 0 0, Harayda 0 0 0, Gorzynski 2 1 7, Presser-Palmer 8 6 25, KEddy 0 0 0, CEddy 1 0 3, Kulyk 1 1 3, White 0 0 0, Williams 0 0 0. Totals 12 8 38.

3-point goals–Font 4, Gorzynski 2, Presser-Palmer 3, Eddy.

Eisenhower 15 7 7 7 — 36

Northwestern 10 14 4 10 — 38