CLARION (16-11 overall, 7-5 PSAC-WEST) AT CALIFORNIA (22-5 11-1)
PSAC PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND GAME
8 P.M. MARCH 2, 2004
WINNER GETS: The winner of the Kutztown-Mansfield game at the highest remaining seed from the PSAC-East in the PSAC semifinals.
RADIO/INTERNET: C-93, 92.7 FM in Clarion & www.redzonemedia.com
LAST 10 GAMES: Clarion 3-7 (W 2); California 9-1 (W 7)
LAST GAMES: Clarion beat Shippensburg 52-39; Cal beat Edinboro 48-45 Saturday
CLARION-CAL SERIES LAST 10 GAMES: Clarion leads 6-4
THIS SEASON: California won 56-51 Jan. 14 at Clarion & 66-43 Feb. 11 at Cal
RECENT CLARION-CAL SERIES HISTORY: In the last 17 meetings between the teams, Clarion holds a 9-8 lead Clarion head coach Ron Righter is 11-22 lifetime against Cal In those 33 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 one point The last 1-point game was a 96-95 double overtime win by California at Clarion in 2001 clarion has won three of the last five meetings between the teams at Cals Hammer Hall and is 4-4 against Cal in the last eight games at Hammer Hall.
CLARION-CAL PLAYOFF HISTORY: This is the fourth PSAC Playoff game between the two schools with Clarion winning 77-71 in 1984 at Clarion and Cal winning 78-65 at Clarion in 1985 and 88-64 at California in 1999 The 1984 and 1999 games were quarterfinal games and the 1985 game was a semifinal contest.
LAST YEAR IN THE PSAC PLAYOFFS: Clarion went 1-1 in the PSAC Playoffs last season beating Edinboro 76-63 at Edinboro before losing to Millersville 79-57 in the semifinals at California California went 2-1 in the PSAC Playoffs a year ago beating Lock Haven 63-60 in the first round and West Chester 62-60 in the semifinals before losing to Millersville 79-74 in the title game ... Click here for Clarion's PSAC Playoffs History
CLARION NOTES: Clarion has won two in a row after dropping seven straight The Golden Eagles started the season 14-4 Clarion is making its eighth straight PSAC Playoff appearance, the longest active streak of any team in the PSAC-West and tied with West Chester for the longest active streak in the PSAC The Golden Eagles won the PSAC title in 2001 and lost in the title game in 1997 Clarion is 9-17 all-time in the PSAC Playoffs and 9-12 since the conference tournament expanded to more than just a championship game in 1981 Clarion is 6-6 under Righter in the PSAC Playoffs with all 12 games being played since 1997 ... Ryan Wells was PSAC-West Player of the Week last week after leading Clarion in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg).
CLARION PLAYERS TO WATCH: No. 10 Ryan Wells Wells led Clarion during PSAC-West play with 14.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg. For the year Wells is scoring 11.3 ppg while grabbing 8.6 rpg. He leads the team with 57 steals; No. 23 Terrance Vaughns Vaughns is Clarions leading scorer averaging 11.9 ppg; No. 2 Michael Clarke Clarke is averaging 11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg on the season.