WEST CHESTER “GOLDEN RAMS” at CLARION “GOLDEN EAGLES”

PSAC MEN’S CROSSOVER GAME INFORMATION

DATE: Jan. 9, 2005    LOCATION: Tippin Gym, Clarion, Pa.                       TIME: 3 p.m.

CLARION RADIO/INTERNET: WWCH 1300 AM in Clarion & www.redzonemedia.com

CLARION RECORD: 8-3                                        W. CHESTER RECORD: 9-3

NEXT FOR CLARION: at Shippensburg Jan. 12      NEXT FOR W. CHESTER: vs. Millersville Jan. 12

RIGHTER ONE WIN SHY OF 300 IN HIS CAREER

·        With a win today would be No. 300 for Clarion head coach Ron Righter. In his 19^th year as a head coach, Righter is 299-190 including 275-166 in his 17^th season at Clarion, where he is the winningest coach in school history. Righter coached two seasons (1980-81) at Wilkes College going 24-24.

CLARION EXCELS IN PSAC CROSSOVER PLAY

·        With the 69-63 win over Kutztown Saturday, Clarion ups its PSAC Crossover record to 22-10 since crossover play began in 2000-01. This despite going just 4-6 against Millersville and Cheyney.

RYAN WELLS – ONE OF THE BEST 6-2 FORWARD IN THE COUNTRY

·        The 18 points, 19 rebounds put up by Clarion’s 6-2 forward Ryan Wells in Clarion’s win over Kutztown yesterday should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched Clarion basketball the last two seasons. Wells, despite playing almost nightly against players four or five or more inches taller than him continues to show that work ethic sometimes is more important the sheer height. Wells is Clarion’s leading scorer (14.9 ppg) and rebounder (8.5 rpg) this season after leading the Golden Eagles in rebounds (8.6) while finishing third in scoring (11.4) last season and earning first team PSAC-West honors. The 19 boards were a career high, and he now has two straight double-doubles, his first two of the season, after recording six last year.

PSAC-WEST PLAY STARTS FOR CLARION WEDNESDAY

·        The Golden Eagles begin PSAC-West play at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Shippensburg. The Golden Eagles currently hold the longest active PSAC-West playoff streak having made the postseason eight straight times.

CLARION-WEST CHESTER SERIES

·        Clarion and West Chester have met seven times since the 1998-99 season with Clarion holding a 5-2 edge in the series including a 57-52 win at West Chester last season Jan. 3. Justin Collins led a balanced Clarion attack with 13 points, while Robert Wordlaw had 10. Clarion led 33-25 at halftime. (See box score.)

·        Maybe the most important game ever played between these two schools occurred March 3, 2001, in the PSAC Championship game at Edinboro. Clarion won its first PSAC title in dramatic fashion 80-77 in overtime. The Eagles trailed 68-65 with 12 seconds to play and WCU’s Ramzee Stanton at the line needing to hit the front end of a 1-and-1 to put the game away. Stanton missed the free throw, Clarion’s Rollie Smith got the rebound and went up court hitting the game tying 3-point with 6 seconds left. In overtime, Smith caught fire scoring seven of Clarion’s 12 points. Steve Serwatka paced Clarion with 24 points and Smith 17 and Mark Starkey 10. Stanton led West Chester with 21 points, 14 rebounds. Tyariq Corbin added 16 points.

ABOUT WEST CHESTER

·        The Golden Rams didn’t play yesterday and are playing for the first time since Thursday when they rallied to beat Wheeling Jesuit 62-57 after nearly blowing an 8-point lead with five minutes to play.

·        The 9-3 start matches West Chester’s start from two years ago when the Rams qualified for the NCAA D-II playoffs.

·        West Chester had won three in a row after losing 3 of 4 leading into Christmas

·        The Golden Rams are tied with Clarion for the longest active PSAC Playoff streak having qualified eight consecutive times.