Box Score

CLARION – The Clarion University women's basketball team rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat West Chester 75-72 in PSAC Crossover play Monday night at Tippin Gym.

 

The Golden Eagles (2-7) trailed 51-36 with 16:11 to play after West Chester (7-2) started the second half on a 12-1 run before Clarion went on a 26-8 run of its own thanks to seven points from Ann Deibert and six each from Raven Jones and Emma Fickel to take a 62-59 lead with 6:59 to play.

 

“I was impressed with our composure when we got down,” Clarion head coach Gie Parsons said. “We believed in ourselves.”

 

West Chester rallied and went back ahead 66-64 on a layup by Ambreelinne Ortman with 5:16 to play and still led by two, 68-66, after a Megan Stewart layup with 4:14 left.

 

Clarion, though, took the lead for good, 69-68, on a Fickel three with 3:56 to play, and then Fickel sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left.

 

“We are a playing with a purpose,” Parsons said. “It's a new year and a new team.”

 

Fickel led Clarion with 21 points and hit five threes. She also had seven rebounds and three steals.

 

Jones and Mackenzie Clark each added 12 points for Clarion with Jones adding four rebounds, three assists and a steal and Clark six boards, two assists and two steals. Savulchak chipped in seven points and eight rebounds and Deibert nine points and six boards.

 

Stewart led West Chester with 22 points with Allison Hostetter getting 14 points and 18 rebounds including 10 on the offensive end. Alex Lennon added eight points, six blocked shots and five rebounds with Mary Kat Serratelli adding eight points and five boards.

 

Clarion trailed by just four, 39-35, at halftime after overcoming an early 21-11 deficit to take a 27-23 lead with 6:26 left in the half thanks to a 16-2 run that was fueled by six points from Savulchak.  

 

Clarion returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when it hosts Millersville.

 

NOTES – The win broke a seven-game slide for the Golden Eagles who hadn't won since an opening-game victory over East Stroudsburg … The 35 first-half points were the most in the opening half for Clarion this season … West Chester owned the boards outrebounding Clarion 57-46 including 27-16 on the offensive end leading to a 21-13 advantage in second-chance points … But Clarion turned the ball over just 15 times to West Chester's 16 and had a 12-10 advantage off turnovers.