CLARION – With an 82-71 win over IUP Saturday and a California win over Lock Haven, Clarion’s men’s basketball team has qualified for the PSAC Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

The Golden Eagles (14-9 overall, 7-4 PSAC-West), the defending PSAC Champions, will start defense of their title Feb. 26 at a site and time to be determined.

Last season Clarion beat IUP 79-73 in the first round of the PSAC Playoffs, then toppled Bloomsburg 70-65 in the semifinals before beating West Chester 80-77 in overtime to win the championship. Rollie Smith was named the Tournament MVP after hitting the game-tying shot with six seconds left in the championship game and then scoring seven of Clarion’s 10 points in overtime.

In the IUP game, Clarion led practically the entire game against the Indians (20-4, 7-3) who entered the game as the No. 1 team in the East Region and the No. 14 team in the nation.

The Golden Eagles led 35-31 at halftime thanks to an 11-5 run to end the half, and they never trailed again outscoring IUP 47-40 in the second half.

The second half, though, was nip-and-tuck affair throughout with the game remaining between one and four points for the first 5:30 of the half before the Golden Eagles were able to gain a six-point lead at 50-44 on a layup by Terrance Stokes with 144:08 left to play.

Both teams continued to trade baskets over the next 10 minutes before Clarion was able to build the lead to nine points at 64-55 on a three-pointer by Rollie Smith with 4:20 left in the game.

IUP then went on a 7-2 run to cut Clarion’s lead to four points, 66-62, with 3:22 left, but a three-pointer by Allen Stevens with 2:47 left gave the Golden Eagles a seven-point lead at 69-62.

Clarion then went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line in the final 1:41 to seal the victory.

Stevens led Clarion with 22 points and six rebounds, David Shearer added 18 points and eight rebounds, Rollie Smith had 16 points and Steve Serwatka 11 points.

In the game, Stevens became the 20^th player in school history to grab 500 rebounds in a career. He now has 504.

NOTES: Clarion is 114-48 (.704) in the past six season ... During that span the Golden Eagles have won one PSAC Title (2000-01) and two PSAC-West titles (1996-97 & 1999-00) and have gone to the NCAA Division II Playoffs once (2000-01) ... Head coach Dr. Ron Righter is the winningest coach in school history. He is 231-139 (62.4 percent) in now his 14^th year at Clarion.