Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG – Playing in a venue that hasn't historically been kind to it, Clarion couldn't overcome its worst shooting day of the season and dropped its first game of the year 69-63 at Shippensburg in PSAC Crossover men's basketball action Saturday afternoon.

 

The Golden Eagles, who entered the game shooting 52 percent, shot 40.7 percent against the Raiders, and Shippensburg used a game-ending 16-8 run to erase a two-point deficit and pick up its sixth win in its last seven tries at home against Clarion dating back to 2002 and its 15 all-time home win vs. the Golden Eagles opposed to just seven losses.

 

Clarion (9-1) led 55-53 with 4:09 to play following a Paul McQueen basket, but Shippensburg's Jordan Stasyszyn hit a three-pointer 18 seconds later to put the Raiders (5-6) in front 56-55.

 

The Golden Eagles took one final lead, 57-55, on two Lloyd Harrison free throws with 2:41 left but Shippensburg scored the next five points including a back-breaking Jaren Gembe three with 1:40 to play following a missed Jamar Harrison free throw that put the Raiders ahead 61-57.

 

Clarion got back within two, 61-59, on a Denzil Dennison layup with 1:27 to play, but Shippensburg was a perfect 8 of 8 from the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the win.

 

The Golden Eagles led 29-28 at halftime thanks to a half-ending 9-2 run and then got the lead up to six, 39-33, three minutes into the second half. But a 7-0 Shippensburg run over the next two minutes ensured a back-and-forth affair to the end.

 

Jamar Harrison led Clarion with 19 points and six rebounds with Lloyd Harrison adding 15 points and five assists. Paul McQueen chipped in with 14 points and five rebounds, Dennison had 11 points and seven boards off the bench with Mike Kromka adding 11 rebounds and four points off the pine.