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EAGLES USE OVERTIME THREE’S TO TOPPLE SHIPPENSBURG IN KEY PSAC-WEST CLASH

CLARION – After hitting just one three-pointer through 43:20 of basketball, Clarion hit three in a span of 1:08 in overtime to erase a 4-point Shippensburg lead and get a 64-63 win in a key PSAC-West clash Saturday afternoon at Tippin Gym.

The last of those three – a triple by Leon Kennedy with 32.7 seconds left – gave Clarion the 64-63 lead. Shippensburg had a couple of opportunities in the last half-minute including a shot by Chuck Davis at the horn but none fell. Clarion head coach Ron Righter credited Bobby Franklin for his defense on Davis on the last shot.

Davis was the reason the game was in overtime, as his running lay-up with 4.9 left tied the game at 50. Davis nearly won the game with a nearly half-court three-pointer at the horn in regulation, but the officials waved off the basket saying the shot came just after the horn sounded.

Clarion (9-13 overall, 4-PSAC-West), which had rallied from an 9-point deficit early in the second half, held a 50-46 lead following two Franklin free throws with 1:12 to play, but Jamal Williams got Shippensburg (15-12, 6-3) within two with a jumper at the 49-second mark setting up Davis’ tying shot.

The Golden Eagles trailed 32-23 2:15 into the second half and 35-27 with 16:06 left but went on a 20-8 run to take a 47-43 lead on two Justin Collins charity shots with 3:52 to play.

Clarion also found itself down four twice in overtime including 59-55 with 2:14 left.

But Lonnell Jones, who had hit just four three-pointers all season, nailed a triple from the top of the circle with 1:40 to go to get Clarion within a point.

After Shippensburg answered with a Todd Johnson layup, Collins tied the game with a three-pointer with 59 seconds to play. Davis then hit a lay-up putting Shippensburg back up two with 47.5 to play before Kennedy’s three gave Clarion the lead for good.

Kennedy came within two points of his career high netting 25 points for Clarion on 8 of 12 shooting including 2-for-2 from 3-point land. He was also 7 of 7 from the line and had four rebounds. Bobby Franklin added 11 points, five assists and two steals while going 7 of 10 from the line, and Lamar Richburg had eight points and five rebounds off the bench before fouling out.

Davis had a game-high 29 points for to lead Shippensburg, while Johnson had 10.

NOTES – Clarion entered the day tied with Lock Haven for the fourth and final playoff spot awarded to the PSAC-West. The Bald Eagles were hosting first-place California Saturday … Clarion returns to action Monday when it hosts Penn State-DuBois at 7 p.m.