Feb. 20, 2010
Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK - Clarion outscored Slippery Rock 16-8 in the final 3:38 of overtime to get a 103-98 win over The Rock and clinch its 12th PSAC playoff berth in the last 14 years.
"It's a great feeling," Clarion head coach Ron Righter said. "It was a battle and has been a battle all season. We have been in a lot of close games like today's and have been fortunate enough to come out on top in a lot of them. This is a very good conference, and every game is a battle."
The game was tied at 87 at the end of regulation before Slippery Rock (15-10 overall, 4-8 PSAC-West) grabbed an early 90-87 lead in the opening minutes of the extra sessions. But Lloyd Harrison, who had a monster game with 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and five assists, brought Clarion (16-9, 8-4) back into the contest.
He hit 3 of 4 free throws to tie the game at 90 with 3:19 left and then got a steal and layup with 3:06 to play to put the Golden Eagles up 92-90.
A pair of Jabril Bailey free throws with 2:53 left tied the game at 92, but Paul McQueen put Clarion ahead 94-92 on a jumper off a Lloyd Harrison assist at 2:35. Lloyd then made one of the few mistakes he made all game missing both ends of a technical foul situation after Slippery Rock head coach Kevin Reynolds was whistled for the technical with 2:33 to go.
That allowed Slippery Rock to retie the game on two more Bailey free throws with 2:23 left, but Jamar Harrison hit a jumper as the shot clock wound down to put Clarion ahead 96-94 with 1:53 to play. Lloyd Harrison then sank two free throws with 44.1 left to put Clarion ahead 98-94 before Maurice Douglas nailed a 3-pointer cutting the lead to one, 98-97, at the 30.6 second mark.
Paul McQueen then nailed two key free throws with 26.5 left making it 100-97, and Greg Parker, who had a phenomenal game off the bench with career high 19 points on 7 of 8 shooting, scored on a breakaway with 13.4 seconds left, was fouled and hit the free throw putting the Golden Eagles up 103-97.
Clarion led by four, 87-83, with 29 seconds left in regulation but Slippery Rock scored the final four points of regulation to tie the game at 87 including an offensive rebound and put back by Cecil Brown with 1.7 seconds to play.
Slippery Rock, which tailed 43-42 at halftime, led 62-51 with 11:48 to play before Clarion stormed back with a 23-8 run to take a four-point lead, 74-70, with 6:47 left. Clarion got that lead up to six a few times in the final five minutes of regulation with the last coming at 85-79 with 2:03 left before Slippery Rock rallied to force overtime.
McQueen added 17 points and six rebounds for Clarion with Shameel Carty and Jamar Harrison each chipping in 15 points. Jamar Harrison also had five assists.
Maron Brown led Slippery Rock with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Mike Evans, Jr., added 22 points, Douglas has 18 points, Brown 15 points and seven boards and Bailey 15 points and six rebounds.
Clarion returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Lock Haven at 8 p.m.
NOTES - Clarion wasn't able to clinch a home playoff game thanks to Mercyhurst's win at Lock Haven Saturday, but the Golden Eagles can still secure a home playoff game with a win in one of its final two games or a loss by either Mercyhurst or Gannon ... This is the third straight year Clarion and Slippery Rock have played an overtime game and the fourth time in the last five years. Clarion beat Slippery rock 60-54 at Clarion in 2006 then topped The Rock 93-90 at Slippery Rock in 2008 before falling to Slippery Rock 95-90 at Clarion last year ... Parker's previous high was eight points ... Lloyd Harrison set a career high in rebounds ... It was Clarion's third overtime game in its last four road contests and its second in eight days. The Eagles beat Lock Haven 84-81 at Lock Haven in overtime Feb. 3 before falling to Gannon 66-65 in overtime last Saturday (Feb. 13).
