Box Score

CALIFORNIA – Virginia Union's Calvin Brown hit two free throws with seven seconds to play to give the Panthers an 82-81 win over Clarion in the season opener for both teams in the opening game of the PSAC/CIAA Challenge at California University of Pennsylvania's Hamer Hall.
 
Clarion had a chance to win the game at the end, but Calvin Edward's went hard to the rim trying to draw the foul, was unsuccessful and has his shot fall off.
 
Winfield Willis had a monster game for the Golden Eagles (0-1) in his collegiate debut scoring a game-high 28 points on 7 of 16 shooting and 12 of 12 from the free-throw line. Bud Teer added 19 points and 13 rebounds, his 14^th double-double of his Clarion career. Edwards and McQueen each added 13 points with Edwards adding six rebounds and four assists.  
 
Clarion trailed by six, 66-60, with eight minutes to play but went on a 10-4 run to tie the game at 70 on a 3-point by Willis with 5:10 left.
 
Virginia Union (1-0) was then able to come back and take an 80-77 lead 1:37 left, but Edwards hit a jumper to make it 80-79 with 27 seconds to play before Brown missed a free throw with 24 seconds to play that Teer rebounded and was then fouled. The senior forward then hit both free throws at the 24-second mark to put the Golden Eagles ahead 81-80.
 
But Brown was fouled by McQueen on the baseline with seven seconds left and hit both free throws to give the Panthers the lead for good.
 
Brown led Virginia Union with 22 points and six assists, Damion Harris added 19 points and seven rebounds and Aaron Smith and Cordero Holt each added 11 points.
 
Clarion was 19 of 21 from the free-throw line and shot 42.9 percent (27 of 63) from the g field while Virginia Union shot 54 percent (34 of 63).  
 
Clarion returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Saturday when it faces Lincoln on the second day of the PSAC/CIAA challenge at California.
 
NOTES – Clarion head coach Ron Righter is two wins shy of 400 in his career. He is 398-273 in 26 years as a head coach including 374-249 in 24 years at Clarion … Clarion is now 15-9 under Righter in season openers and 44-23 since 1945 … It was the third time Virginia Union and Clarion have played with Virginia Union winning all three times … Teer led the PSAC in rebounding last year at 10.5 rpg and averaged a double-double with 11.8 ppg.