CALIFORNIA VULCANS AT CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES
PSAC-West Men’s Basketball
8 p.m. Jan. 29, 2005
91.7 FM in Clarion/www.redzonemedia.com
RECORDS
Clarion (11-6 overall, 1-2 PSAC-West)
Cal (11-6 overall, 1-2 PSAC-West)
LAST GAMES
1/26 - Clarion lost to Slippery Rock 66-60
1/22 - California lost to Edinboro 71-68
NEXT GAMES
2/2 - Clarion hosts Edinboro & California hosts Shippensburg
HEAD COACHES
Clarion - Ron Righter
19th overall (302-172); 17th at Clarion (278-169)
California - Bill Brown
19th overall (311-193); 9th at California (186-66)
EAGLES SLOW CONFERENCE START UNUSUAL
This is only the 2nd time since 1997 that Clarion is 1-2 in PSAC-West play … The other was 2002 when Clarion finished 7-5 … The Eagles are looking to avoid their first 1-3 PSAC-West start since 1995.
CLARION ATTACK FROM THE INDSIDE
Usually guard oriented, Clarion’s top two scorers are inside men this year with Ryan Wells leading the Eagles at 16.8 ppg and Michael Clarke second at 14.6 ppg … Terrance Vaughns is the top guard averaging 12.1 ppg while shooting 40.2% from 3-point land.
HOME SWEET HOME
This is the first of 4 straight homes games for Clarion with 6 of the next 7 being at Tippin Gym … The Eagles are 7-0 at home this season but only 4-6 on the road including 1-1 in neutral site games.
CAL LOOKING TO GET BACK ON TRACK
The Vulcans started the season 10-3 but have lost two in a row and three of their last 4 … Cal has struggled some without Drew Schifino, who was the team’s leading scorer (19.1 ppg) before being declared ineligible by the NCAA earlier this month … Without Schifino in the lineup, the Vulcans are 3-3.
RECENT CLARION-CALIFORNIA SERIES HISTORY
California has won three straight from Clarion and 5 of 8 … The Golden Eagles last win was 63-61 at Tippin Gym Feb. 12, 2003, that completed the season sweep of the Vulcans that year … Last season, Cal took three games from Clarion including a 68-58 win at Cal in the first round of the PSAC Playoffs … The Vulcans also won 66-43 at Cal Feb. 11 and 56-51 at Clarion Jan. 14 (See attachments) … Clarion head coach Ron Righter is 11-23 in his Clarion career against California, while Cal mentor Bill Brown 9-9 in his time at Cal vs. Clarion … Close games are the norm with 17 of the 34 contests since 1989 being decided by 7 points or less including 10 games by 3 points or less with five 1-point contests … Cal holds the lead 11-6 in the close games 3-2 in the 1-point games.