CLARION TO FACE CALIFORNIA IN PS

CLARION TO FACE CALIFORNIA IN PSAC PLAYOFFS

The Clarion University men’s basketball team will face California at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the opening round of the 2007 PSAC Playoffs at Cal’s Hamer Hall.

The Golden Eagles (13-14 overall, 6-6 PSAC-West) are the fourth seed from the PSAC-West while Cal (22-5, 10-2) is the PSAC-West champion and top seed. Cal won both regular-season meeting over Clarion defeating the Golden Eagles 80-60 at Cal Feb. 3 and 66-63 at Clarion Jan. 10.

Both teams enter the postseason playing well.

Clarion, which is making is 10^th PSAC Playoff appearance in the last 11 years, has won eight of its past 10 games including six of its final eight PSAC-West games after starting the conference season 0-4. Clarion is 4-8 away from Tippin Gym this season.

Cal, meanwhile, has won 16 of its past 18 games including four in a row. The Vulcans last loss was Feb. 10 61-59 at Lock Haven. Cal has played extremely well at home going 13-1 at Hamer Hall with the lone loss coming 74-67 to Millersville Dec. 19.

Leon Kennedy tops Clarion in scoring at 14.5 ppg while adding 4.7 rpg. He ranks 13^th in the PSAC in scoring and second in steals (2.44 per game).

Josh Yanke is averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg ranking 17^th in the PSAC in rebounding. He has picked up his game in the last five averaging 17.2 ppg and 8.5 rpg while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.

Bobby Franklin is third in the PSC with 4.37 apg and has a career-high 118 this year. He ranks eighth in school history with 341 career helpers. Franklin is adding 7.3 ppg this year.

Justin Collins is contributing 7.8 ppg and has hit a team-high 34 three-pointers, while Demetrius Graham has 80 assists (2.96 per game) and is coming off a career-high 10 vs. Slippery Rock Sunday in the game that clinched the PSAC Playoff berth for Clarion. Graham adds 3.9 ppg.

Additional key players for the Golden Eagles are Lamar Richburg (6.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Lonnell Jones (5.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Frank Torbert (5.3 ppg, 27 3-pointers) and Brent Nelson (4.3 rpg, 3.7 ppg).

Cal has seven players scoring 7.7 ppg or better led by James Petty’s 14.1 ppg, which ranks 16^th in the PSAC.

Osborne Gardner is adding 11.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg for the Vulcans ranking 15^th in the PSAC in rebounding, while Kelvin Green adds 11.4 ppg and 6.1 rpg ranking 14^th in the conference in rebounds.

James Hairston adds 8.8 ppg, Theron Colao has 8.2 ppg and a team-high 37 3-pointers, John Owens gives the Vulcans 7.9 ppg and ranks sixth in the PSAC with 4.22 apg and Ron Banks adds 7.7 ppg.

NOTES – This is the fifth time the two schools have met in the PSAC Playoffs with Cal winning three of the first four including the last three … Cal beat Clarion 68-58 in the quarterfinals at Hamer Hall in 2004 and 88-64 in the quarterfinals at Hamer Hall in 1999. The Vulcans also got a 78-65 win over the Golden Eagles in the 1985 semifinals at Clarion. Clarion’s lone win came 77-71 in the 1984 quarterfinals at Clarion … Last season was the only time sine 1997 that the Golden Eagles failed to reach the PSAC Playoffs. Clarion won the PSAC title in 2001 and was second in 1997 … This is Clarion’s 21^st overall appearance in the PSAC Playoffs with the Eagles going 9-19 all-time in PSAC Playoff games … The winner of the game will play the winner of the Cheyney at Kutztown game at a site to be determined Friday. If Clarion wins, the game will be at either Edinboro or Shippensburg at 5 p.m., and if Cal wins, the game will be at Cal at 7 p.m. The PSAC Championship game is Saturday at 7 p.m.