Click here for box score & play-by-play

GOLDEN EAGLES KNOCK OFF IUP KEEP PSAC PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE

INDIANA – Clarion used a 14-6 run at the end of the first half to grab a 5-point halftime lead and then never relinquished holding off a late IUP rally to get a 62-60 win over the Crimson Hawks in a key PSAC-West clash Wednesday night.

The Golden Eagles improved to 8-13 overall and 3-5 in the PSAC-West and pending the outcome of Wednesday night’s Shippensburg-Lock Haven came could be tied with Lock Haven for the fourth and final playoff spot awarded to the PSAC-West with four conference games left to be played. IUP, meanwhile, fell to 4-16 overall and 2-5 in the PSAC-West a half game back of Clarion.

Clarion built the 5-point halftime lead into a 10-point advantage – 58-48 – with 5:47 to play. But IUP rallied back with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 58-55 with 43 seconds to go. Leon Kennedy, though, hit two free throws with 35 seconds left to make it 60-55 before Dave Mazza’s three with 22 seconds remaining cut the lead to 60-58. Bobby Franklin then hit one of two charity shots at the 18-second mark to make it a three-point game before Gerald Brook’s lay-up with 1.8 left to get IUP back within a point. Clarion was then able to get the ball inbounds to Frank Torbert, who was fouled with 0.6 seconds left. Torbert made one free throw before missing the second one and time ran out.

Clarion jumped out to an early 10-point lead – 17-7 – a little over six minutes into the game before IUP went on a 19-6 run to taker it biggest lead of the contest at 26-23 with 7:04 left in the opening half. Clarion, though, answered with the 14-6 half-ending run to take a 37-32 halftime lead.

Josh Yanke led Clarion with 16 points, while Leon Kennedy added 15 and Justin Collins 12. Bobby Franklin had 10 points and six assists.

Brooks led IUP with 17 points, nine rebounds, while Jordan Shaw had 10 points. Avery Oliver and Angelo Jones each chipped in with 10 tallies.

The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday when they host Shippensburg at 3 p.m. The game, which can be heard locally on 91.7 FM and on the Internet at www.redzonemedia.com, is a “Take a Kid to the Game” day. All kids 12 and under get in free to either or both the men’s game and the women’s game with Ship that starts at 1 p.m.