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EAGLES SOAR INTO PSAC PLAYOFFS WITH WIN OVER SLIPPERY ROCK

CLARION – When Clarion was sitting at 0-4 in the PSAC-West few gave the Golden Eagles a chance to make the PSAC Playoffs. But after a 76-59 win over visiting Slippery Rock Sunday afternoon at Tippin Gym, the PSAC Playoffs are exactly where Clarion is headed.

The Golden Eagles (13-14 overall, 6-6 PSAC-West) earned their 10^th PSAC Playoff berth in 11 years by winning eight of their final 10 games including six of their final eight conference contests.

Clarion, the fourth seed from the PSAC-West, will take on top seeded California at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Cal’s Hammer Hall. The Vulcans swept the season series from Clarion winning 66-63 at Clarion and 80-60 at California.

To get to the PSAC Playoffs, Clarion got a total team effort against Slippery Rock with eight Eagles scoring at least six points led by Josh Yanke’s double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds). Demetrius Graham came off the bench to score six tallies and hand out a career-high 10 assists. Lamar Richburg added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while senior Frank Torbert had 11 points, all in the first half, while getting the start on Senior Day. Clarion’s four other seniors who were healthy to play – Brent Nelson, Justin Collins, Leon Kennedy and Bobby Franklin – all added seven points apiece with Franklin getting four assists and Kennedy seven rebounds.

Clarion used a 23-10 run in the first half to build a 33-20 lead with 6:46 left in the half and led by nine – 45-36 – at halftime after shooing 69 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

Slippery Rock (5-22, 2-10) got within eight early in the second half before the Golden Eagles used runs of 7-0 and 11-2 to put The Rock away.

Erroll Robinson led Slippery Rock with 13 points, while Joseph Vines had 12.

NOTES – Clarion’s only missed the PSAC Playoffs once since 1997 failing to reach the postseason last year … Chris Buchanan was Clarion’s sixth senior, but he missed the game because of an injury … Clarion last faced Cal in the PSAC Playoffs in 2004 falling to the Vulcans 68-58 at Cal ... Cal is 22-5 and 10-2 in the PSAC-West.