CLARION WINS 64-50

COACH PARSONS POSTS 300TH COLLEGIATE WIN

CLARION – It was a milestone game for Clarion University women’s basketball head coach Margaret "Gie" Parsons who won career game No.300 when the Golden Eagles got a 64-50 win over East Stroudsburg Saturday afternoon at Clarion’s Tippin Gym.

"It is easy for a coach to get 300 wins when she has had the players I have had around me," Parsons said. "But like I told our team in the team room after the game, the important thing is the next 14 possible wins this season not the previous 300. All I care about are the next 14 wins."

Win No. 300 was gotten the hard way for Parsons and the Golden Eagles. It was earned.

East Stroudsburg (5-7) jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead a little over four-minute into the game thanks to eight points from Vanessa Kraft.

But Clarion (6-7) came right back and went on an 11-0 run over the next six minutes to take a 13-10 lead with 9:37 left in the first half. Christina Lantz and Courtney Willman were the keys to the run scoring four points each.

East Stroudsburg was able to fight back and get the lead back at 16-14 on a layup by Heather Wolfe with 7:26 left in the half.

But Clarion tied the game at 16 on a jumper by Heather Cigich, and the Golden Eagles took the lead for good on a three-pointer by Tamkea Washington with 5:57 left in the half.

Cigich and Washington helped spark Clarion on a 12-4 run that gave the Golden Eagles a 26-20 halftime lead.

Clarion got the lead up to 28-20 at the start of the second half, but East Stroudsburg fought back brining the game back to within three points at 28-25 with 18:01 left in the game.

The Golden Eagle’s lead then kept swinging back and forth from three to five points for the next six plus minutes before East Stroudsburg got the game to within two points at 30-38 with 10:40 left to play.

The Warriors still trailed by just two points at 44-42 with 9:16 left, but Allison Stodart hit a three-pointer to give Clarion a five-point lead at 47-42 with 8:52 to play.

East Stroudsburg won’t go away closing the gap to three points at 51-48 on a free throw by Kraft with 5:09 left to play.

But Clarion finished the game with an 13-2 run thanks to four points from Washington and four from Lantz to get the win. Lantz led Clarion with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Cigich produced another double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Courtney Willman added 14 points, and Washington and Stodart each contributed with 11 points.

Kraft and Wolfe were the lone Warriors in double figures with 12 points each.