GOLDEN EAGLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL SEASON WITH TRIP TO NCAA TO.

            The Clarion University women’s basketball team enjoyed a successful 2004-05 season that included the school’s first trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs since 1995.

            “I am just overwhelmed with the outcome of this season,” Clarion’s 16^th year head coach Gie Parsons said. “We were picked to finish fourth in the PSAC-West in the preseason and ended up not only finishing second but also reaching the NCAA playoffs. That speaks for itself.”

            Clarion finished the season 23-7 overall and 10-2 in the PSAC-West while playing a touch schedule that included four regular-season games against NCAA playoff-bound opponents, eight games against opponents who finished with 20 or more wins and 15 games against opponents who finished with 15 or more wins. Clarion was 4-4 against teams with 20 or more wins and 9-6 vs. teams with 15 or more wins.

            “Our general philosophy is that in order to farewell in the playoffs, you have to have experience great teams during the regular season,” Parsons said. “We have a great sense of proud knowing we won 23 games against a quality schedule.”

            Highlights during the season included a thrilling 70-68 season-opening win over Pitt-Johnstown, a 71-59 win over defending national champion California and a 69-49 win over Shippensburg in the opening round of the PSAC Playoffs.

            The Pitt-Johnstown win Nov. 16 turned out to be one of the more pivotal victories for the Golden Eagles, as the last NCAA playoff spot came down between the two schools with Clarion’s win in November helping the Golden Eagles continue play in the middle of March. Senior Heather Cigich hit the game-winning shot at the horn to break a 68-all tie. Four players scored in double figures to lead Clarion with freshman Jessica Albanese coming off the bench to record a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) in her first collegian game. Shay Godwin added 16 points and nine boards, while Melba Melton had 12 points and Cigich 11.    

“The coaching staff knew at the time that it was a big game,” Parsons said. “But we wanted to play it down to the players since it was so early in the season. The game set the tone for the rest of the year. It showed us that we could do it. We could win the big game.”

            The win over California Jan. 29 was witnessed by a huge crowd of 1,500 at Tippin Gym, who saw the Golden Eagles build a 17-point lead late in the game while handing Cal its only regular-season loss to a PSAC opponent this season. Melton had a huge game for the Golden Eagles with 24 points, five assists and three steals, while Cigich added 14 points and eight rebounds. Amelia Harris had 11 points, and Ashley Grimm 10.

            “The Cal game was the catalyst for us to make the run to the playoffs,” Parsons said. “They have been a great team for the last four years, and beating them showed us we were that good. We went from being the hunter to the hunted, a role I think we handled with grace.”

            The Shippensburg game in the PSAC Playoffs helped Clarion avenge its only home loss of the season, a 69-58 setback in early February, and was the Golden Eagles first PSAC Playoff win since 1995. Cigich turned in a great performance with 24 points and 11 rebounds including 20 second-half points. Godwin added 10 points and seven boards, while Harris had 10 points and five assists.

            “We were really playing well at the time,” Parsons said. “To beat a quality team like Ship in the playoffs by 20 is hard to believe.”

            Additional key wins for Clarion included victories at Ashland, Millersville, Edinboro and Shippensburg and at home vs. West Chester and Edinboro.

            All the key victories added up to the Golden Eagles, who fell to Millersville 57-54 in the PSAC semifinals at Millersville, receiving an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. It was Clarion’s sixth trip to the NCAA’s with all six coming under Parsons.

            “It was an exciting time when we found out we were going to the NCAA playoffs,” Parsons said. “Selection day was full of highs and lows. We thought going in we had a good chance to get an at-large bid, but the longer the day went on without us hearing anything the more down we got. You start to think the worst. However, the thrill of making it was unbelievable. All of our hard work, all the trials and tribulations had come to fruition.”

            Clarion met Charleston (W. Va.) in the opening round of the NCAA’s in Anderson, SC, and an injury-riddled Golden Eagle squad fell 79-57 to UC. Clarion played the game without its top reserve Albanese (illness), and had the services of Cigich (injury) for just 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Melton also suffered an injury in the game, and although she returned to finish it, she was not at 100 percent. Harris, forced to play inside because of the injuries, led the Eagles with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Godwin had nine points and 13 boards and Peacock 11 points.

            “Injuries are part of the game,” Parsons said. “But what we faced ended up being insurmountable odds. However, I am proud of the courage we showed. We left everything out on the court. Even though we lost, we came away from the tournament with a good feeling about how we competed and how our season as a whole was.”

            The season closed out the careers of four Clarion seniors.

            Cigich ended a brilliant four years for the Golden Eagles by averaging 17.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.92 apg and 2.5 spg this season. She ranked third in the PSAC in scoring, fourth in rebounding, second in shooting percentage (56.0 percent) and 10^th in steals per game while being named first-team PSAC-West for the third straight season (her fourth all-PSAC honor) and second-team Daktronics East Region.

            She finished her Clarion career averaging a school record 17.0 points per game while ranking third in school history in scoring (1,832 points), second in rebounds (1,121), third in blocks (82), fifth in steals (250) and tied for seventh in assists (244). Her 76.2 percent career free-throw mark (409 of 538) is the fourth best all-time at Clarion. In 2004, Cigich was a third team Daktronics All-America, an Honorable Mention WBCA/Kodak All-America and an Honorable Mention DII Bulletin All-America. She had a career-high 21 rebounds vs. IUP in 2003-04 and 37 points in 2002-03 vs. IUP, the third most points in a game in school history. She finished her career with 14 25-point games and 16 15-rebound contests.

            “Heather was fabulous,” Parsons said. “Her stats really speak for themselves. She did everything we thought she could do when she first came to Clarion. She got better every summer. She parallels the cream of the crop of the elite players I have coached.”

            Also concluding a four-year career for Clarion was Harris, who was the fourth-leading scorer for the Eagles this season averaging 10.7 ppg while also adding 5.3 rpg and 3.03 apg. She ranked sixth in the PSAC in 3-pointers per game (2.13), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.364) and 15^th in assists per game (3.03).

            In her career, Harris finished with 875 points, 414 rebounds, 214 assists and 113 steals. She also hit 166 career three-pointers, the fifth most in school history. Harris scored a career high 24 points twice (both coming last season vs. IUP and West Liberty) while hitting a career best seven three-pointers vs. Lock Haven last season and dishing out a career high eight assists vs. Edinboro this season.

            “Amelia improved leaps and bounds every year,” Parsons said. “She was determined that we were going to be successful, and she carried us for a while.”

            Two players concluded two-year careers for Clarion as well.

            Godwin had a terrific two seasons in blue and gold averaging 14.2 ppg and 9.9 rpg this season while blocking 43 shots while being named first-team PSAC-West for the second straight year. She led the PSAC in shooting percentage (57.1 percent), ranked fourth in rebounding, fourth in blocks per game (1.43) and ninth in scoring.

            In two seasons, she scored 816 points, grabbed 576 rebounds and blocked 61 shots, the fourth most in a career at Clarion. Her 54.5 percent career field goal percentage (341 of 626) ranks third in school history. She scored a career high 30 points in 2004 vs. Edinboro and grabed a career high 20 rebounds this season vs. Kutztown. In her two years at Clarion, she scored 25 or more points four times and grabbed 15 or more rebounds 11 times.

            “Shay was a wonderful compliment inside to Heather,” Parsons said. “She really made us hard to defend. She was a mainstay in the program and a force to be reckoned with.”

            Tiffany Peacock was a solid contributor off the bench for the Eagles and averaged 7.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.7 apg this season.

In two seasons, she scored 486 points, dished out 112 assists and came away with 66 steals. She had a career high 29 points last season vs. Cheyney.

“Tiffany was a great spark off the bench,” Parsons said. “She could carry us at times.”

Three newcomers also played key roles this year for the Golden Eagles.

Melton, a junior college transfer, led Clarion with 142 assists (third in a season in school history) and 65 steals while ranking third on the team in scoring at 11.8 ppg while being named second-team PSAC-West. She ranked fifth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.73), seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.43-1), 12^th in steals per game (2.17) and 15^th in scoring.

“Melba really filled one of the two voids we had going into the season,” Parsons said. “She was lighting quick, and she was like having a second point guard on the court. She really strengthened a position where we were weak.”

Two true freshmen also contributed heavily.

Ashley Grimm was the starting point guard for the Eagles and her 125 assists were the fifth most in a single season at Clarion. She also added 5.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg and ranked fifth in the PSAC in assist-turnover ratio (1.47-1), ninth in assist per game (4.17) and 15^th in steals per game (2.00).

“She is the Rookie of the Year in my heart,” Parsons said. “She was the difference from where we were last year (15-12) and where we were this year. She is a solid player who is only going to get better each season.”

Albanese was the key reserve off the bench averaging 6.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg while shooting 46.3 percent from the field.

“Jessica is a very good player who was very pivotal to us this season off the bench,” Parsons said. “We really missed her against Millersville in the PSAC Semifinals and against Charleston in the NCAA’s.”

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES – Parsons earned PSAC-West “Coach of the Year” and Russell Athletic/WBCA Division II Region 2 “Coach of the Year” honors this season… It was the third time in her career she was PSAC-West “Coach of the Year”… Parsons is the winningest coach in school history and has a 16-year record of 249-197 (55.8 percent) at Clarion including 100-92 in PSAC-West play… In 23 years as a head coach, she has a career mark of 359-270 (57.1 percent)… Parsons led Clarion on an five-year run from 1991-95 that included five straight PSAC-West crowns, three PSAC titles (1991, 1993, 1994), two NCAA East Region titles (1991, 1994) and two trips to the NCAA D-II “Elite 8” (1991, 1994). Clarion’s record during the span was 117-33 overall (78 percent) and 50-10 (83.3 percent) in the PSAC-West.