New season. Same path.That’s what the Clarion University’s men’s basketball team will be hoping for when the Golden Eagles travel to Indiana (IUP) for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday night (Feb. 26^th) in the opening round of the 2002 PSAC Playoffs. Tickets will be available at the door with adults paying $7 and students $2.

Last year Clarion opened the PSAC Playoffs as the #3 seed and traveled to IUP (#2 seed) in the first round and upset the Indians 79-73 at Memorial Field House. The Eagles used the momentum to go on and defeat Bloomsburg (70-65) in the PSAC Semi’s and West Chester (80-77 in overtime) in the finals to win the school’s first ever PSAC Championship.

On Tuesday night the Golden Eagles (15-10 overall, 7-5 PSAC-West) will try and start a repeat performance of 2001. Clarion, seeded #4, will travel to IUP (22-4, 9-3), seeded #1, for the start of the PSAC Playoffs.

Tuesday’s game can be heard on the radio in Clarion on WWCH-AM, Radio13 (1300 AM) and on the Internet at Air time will be at 6:50 p.m with Rich Herman and Dave Katis providing the coverage.

Always a strong rival game during the season, Clarion and IUP split the two regular season meetings. IUP notched a 72-67 win Jan.19 at IUP and Clarion held its own version of the home court advantage with an 82-71 victory on Feb. 16^th at Waldo S. Tippin Gym.

"It should be another great game," said Clarion head coach Dr. Ron Righter. "They have an outstanding team with great size and athletic ability. That coupled with strong guard play has made them one of the top teams in the Region all season long. We’ll have to try and neutralize their inside game while also playing their guards tough. We know we’ll have to play a strong overall game in their building, but we believe we’re prepared to do just that. We’re looking forward to the challenge."

The Golden Eagles are led in the backcourt by guards Rollie Smith and Steve Serwatka. Smith, a junior, averages 12.9ppg, leads the team in assists with 122, is shooting 82% from the free throw line and 40% from the three-point line.

Serwatka, meanwhile, is Clarion’s leading scorer averaging 17.2ppg, is shooting 40% from the three-point line and a PSAC leading 91% from the free throw line. Serwatka, in only two years has now totalled 1,015 points, the first player in school history to reach that mark in only two seasons.

Up front the Eagles will rely on forwards David Shearer and Allen Stevens, along with center Dale Thomas. Shearer, although injured much of the season, has averaged 9.5ppg, 7.2 rebounds, 73% from the foul line and is ranked second in the entire PSAC in steals per game (2.1).

Stevens is second on the team in scoring with 14.6ppg, while also chipping in with 5.5 rebounds and shooting nearly 50% from the floor.

Thomas, a graduate student and transfer from Middle Tennessee State, is getting 10.4ppg and 7.2 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.

Shearer (1,246), Stevens (1,185) and Serwatka (1,015) give Clarion three players over 1,000 career points, which is the first time in school history that three teammates have been over 1,000 career points at the same time.

Key players off the bench for the Golden Eagles are Dereck Rankin (5.0 ppg, 2.4 apg), Terrance Stokes (3.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Justin Kreefer (2.6 ppg) and Stephen Nesmith (1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg).

IUP, led by head coach Gary Edwards, will be led by forwards Dennis Mims and Leon Piper, along with Fannar Olafsson in the front court, with guards Wes Layton and Aaron Faulkner ready as starters.

Mims, who is averaging 16.7ppg, leads the entire PSAC in rebounds with 11.2 per game. He also has 72 blocked shots and is shooting 60.5% from the floor.

Piper, meanwhile, averages 12.9ppg and ranks fourth in the PSAC getting 8.2 rebounds per game. Olafsson is averaging 8ppg, while ranking 9^th in rebounding at 7.4 per game.

Layton and Faukner set up the IUP offense. Layton leads the team with 112 assists and nets 8.3ppg, while Faulkner is second on the team in scoring with 15.9ppg, has dished out 110 assists and leads the team with 51 steals.

The Indians have a potent bench with Keenan Holmes (6.6ppg), Felix Davilla (4.9ppg, 4.0 rebs) and Sean Whalen (6.4ppg) Whalen ranks second in the PSAC shooting 46.4% from the three point line.

CLARION NOTES: In Clarion’s 72-67 loss at IUP earlier this year, Smith led Clarion with 23 points, while Steve Serwatka added 11 and Dale thomas 10 points and 14 rebounds... Leon Piper led IUP with 19 points and 9 rebounds, Olafsson had 15 points and 11 boards... In Clarion’s 82-71 win, Stevens netted 22, Shearer 18 and 8 rebounds, and Smith 16... For IUP Mims had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Faulkner 18 points... The 2001 Playoff game at IUP where Clarion won 79-73, Serwatka had 18, Tamir Harbin 16 and Shearer 13... Keenan Holmes 19 and Faulkner 16 led IUP ... The Clarion-IUP winner will face the winner of the Millersville-Cheyney game in the PSAC semifinals Saturday at the highest remaining seed from the PSAC-East ... This is the sixth straight PSAC Playoff appearance for the Golden Eagles, the second longest of the PSAC-West teams behind only IUP’s 10 straight ... Clarion has one PSAC Title (2001) and 2 PSAC-West titles under coach Righter who is in his 14^th season ... The Eagles have a total of 11 PSAC -West crowns in their history... Righter has a career record at Clarion of 232-140... IUP has won three PSAC crowns in its history (1974, 1995 & 2000) Coach Edwards is in his sixth season and has a record of 120-48 at IUP ... Clarion is 8-15 in its history in PSAC Playoff games while IUP is 14-14 ... Clarion and IUP have met twice in the PSAC Playoffs with Clarion winning 79-73 last season and IUP getting a 66-50 win in 1986 ... Clarion is 5-5 against the PSAC Playoff teams this season, while IUP is 7-3.