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COHILL’S SHOT WITH 2.3 SECONDS LEFT LIFTS CLARION PAST SLIPPERU ROCK

CLARION – My’Kea Cohill’s floating, running jumper plus free throw with 2.3 seconds left lifted Clarion to a 76-74 win over Slippery Rock in the season finale for both teams Sunday afternoon at Clarion’s Tippin Gym.

Slippery Rock’s Amanda Nero had given her team a 74-73 lead with a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left. But Clarion’s Ashley Grimm got the ball quickly ahead to Cohill, who was streaking down the near sideline. Cohill’s running jumper banked in off the glass while she was being fouled by Chere’ Marshall. Cohill calmly sank the charity shot giving Clarion a 2-point lead. Slippery Rock had one last chance, but Nero’s desperation, off-balance 3-pointer from at least 35 feet was no good.

Both teams staged big comebacks in the game before the exciting ending.

Clarion (9-17 overall, 4-8 PSAC-West) trailed by 15 – 26-11 – 10:39 into the game before going on a 22-6 run to take a 33-32 lead with 2:10 left in the half.

Slippery Rock fought back to take a 37-35 halftime lead, but Clarion used a 13-3 run in the second half to go ahead by 10 – 54-44 – on a Jessica Albanese jump shot with 12:09 to play.

The Golden Eagles still led  10 – 61-51 – with 8:35 to play before Slippery Rock went on a 18-6 run to take a 69-67 lead on a Nikki Presto jumper with 2:47 left.

After Albanese retied the game with a lay-up at 2:12, Slippery Rock went back ahead with a Marshall lay-up with 1:45 to play.

Ashley Grimm, though, had the answer for Clarion hitting a 3-point at 1:17 to give the Golden Eagles the lead back at 72-71. April Gratton then made it 73-71 when she hit two free throws at the 21.1-second mark before Nero hit what Slippery Rock thought would be the winning three.

Grimm scored a season-high 17 points while trying a season-high with nine assists. She finished the season with 137 helpers, the most in her career and the fourth most in school history. Grimm, who entered the game leading the PSAC in assists, now has 398 career helpers, which also ranks third in school history.

Albanese added 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Cohill had 14 points and Katrina Greer 12 points, four assists and two steals.

The game brought the end of Clarion careers for Michelle Johnson and Jessica Skeggs, who were honored in a pre-game Senior Day ceremony. Both players got starts with Johnson scoring two points and Skeggs grabbing a rebound.

Nero led all scorers with 22 points for Slippery Rock (9-17, 3-9), while Marshall had 15.

NOTES – The win secured Clarion its sixth straight winning season at home. The Golden Eagles were 7-5 at Tippin this season … Cohill’s winning shot was the first time a Clarion player had won a game in the final 10 seconds since Heather Cigich beat Pitt-Johnston in the 2004-2005 season opener with a jumper that gave the Eagles a 70-68 win and ultimately clinched an NCAA Playoff berth for Clarion that season.