CLARION “GOLDEN EAGLES” AT CALIFORNIA “VULCANS”
PSAC-WEST MEN’S BASKETBALL
DATE: Feb. 11, 2004 LOCATION: Hammer Hall, California, Pa. TIME: 8 p.m.
RADIO/INTERNET: WCUC 91.7 FM in Clarion & www.redzonemedia.com
CLARION RECORD: 14-7 overall, 4-2 PSAC-West CAL RECORD: 17-5 overall, 6-1 PSAC-West
LAST GAMES: Feb. 7- Pitt-Johnstown 70, Clarion 54; California 79, IUP 75, overtime
NEXT UP: Clarion hosts IUP Saturday (8 p.m.), while Cal hosts Lock Haven
CLARION LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5 CAL LAST 10 GAME: 6-4
CLARION-CAL SERIES LAST 10 GAMES: Clarion leads 6-4
THIS SEASON: California won 56-51 at Clarion Jan. 14 behind Sherman Brittingham’s 13 points. Justin Collins led Clarion with 11 points. Clarion led 29-26 at halftime but Cal used a 13-4 second-half run to win.
LAST SEASON: Clarion won 79-72 at Cal and 63-61 at Clarion
RECENT CLARION-CAL SERIES HISTORY: In the last 16 meetings between the teams, Clarion holds a 9-7 lead and has won six of the past nine meetings … Since the 1988-89 season (Clarion head coach Ron Righter’s first), the teams have played 32 times with Cal leading the series 21-11 during that stretch … In those 31 games, 21 have been decided by 10 points or less, 12 by five points or less, 10 by three points or less and five by 1 point … The last 1-point game was a 96-95 double overtime win by California at Clarion in 2001. … In the last four season, the teams have met eight times with the highest margin of victory being 11 points by Clarion in 2000-01 (91-80) … Clarion has had great success at Hammer Hall winning three of the last four meetings and four of the last seven on the Vulcans home court. Cal’s lone win in the past four seasons at home against the Golden Eagles was an 85-78 win in the 2001-2002 season.
GAME NOTES: This game has major PSAC-West title aspiration implications … Cal is currently tied for first in the West with Edinboro with 6-1 conference marks and Clarion is 1 ½ game back at 4-2 … A Golden Eagle victory puts Clarion right in the thick of a three-team race for the title with Edinboro and Cal each having four games left after the game and Clarion five … A Cal win basically ends the Golden Eagles hopes of a West crown this season, while putting Cal in a good position to gain a home playoff game in the PSAC Playoffs. The game features the top two defenses in the PSAC with both teams allowing just 64.2 ppg. Cal has been slightly better defensively in conference games allowing 63.0 ppg to Clarion’s 64.2 ppg.
CLARION NOTES: The Golden Eagles struggled last week losing all three of its games, the first time this season Clarion has lost three in a row … Clarion last lost four straight games late last year, but the Golden Eagles haven’t lost five in a row since the 1995-96 season.
CLARION LEADERS: Michael Clarke (13.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 14 blocks – 18th in PSAC in scoring; 15th in rebounding), Terrance Vaughns (12.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 47 3-pointers – 19th in PSAC in scoring, T-6th in PSAC in 3-pointers made per game), Ryan Wells (10.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.8 apg – 5th in PSAC in rebounding; 5th in steals), Justin Collins (9.6 ppg, 50 3-pointers; 49.0% from 3-pnt range – 50-102 – 1st in PSAC in 3-point percentage, 3rd in 3’s per game), Bobby Franklin (6.3 ppg, 1.8 apg), Lee Church (5.0 ppg, 3.4 apg).
CALIFORNIA LEADERS: Kevin Handy (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg – 12th in PSAC in scoring, 18th in rebounding), Gerrmar Ballard (12.6 ppg, 3.2 apg – 9th in PSAC in assists), Sherman Brittingham (12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.6 apg), Sharif Bray (11.5 ppg, 2.6 apg), Michael Johnson (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 26 blocks), Ryan Boles (5.7 ppg, , 7.3 rpg, 40 blocks – 11th in PSAC in rebounding; 3rd in PSAC in blocks)