Box Score

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Paul McQueen hit four free throws in the final 21 seconds of overtime to erase a one-point deficit and give Clarion an 80-77 win over West Chester in PSAC men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at West Chester.
 
The Golden Eagles (4-3 overall, 2-1 PSAC West) trailed 77-76 after an old-school three-point play by West Chester's Jon Breeden, but McQueen grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed shot by Bud Teer with 22 seconds to play and was fouled by Breeden. He then hit both free throws to give Clarion a 78-77 lead.
 
Teer then came up with a steal off a turnover by Breeden, and McQueen was fouled again. He calmly sank both charity shots to put the Golden Eagles ahead by three, and West Chester (4-3, 1-2) never got a potential game-tying shot off.
 
The game was tied at 70 at the end of regulation thanks to a tip-in by West Chester's Lance McDowell with 42 seconds left. The Golden Rams had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation after a Clarion turnover, but Breeden missed a jumper at the horn.
 
Clarion then jumped out to a 76-72 lead two minutes into the extra session before West Chester went on a 5-0 run capped by Breeden's three-point play.
 
Winfield Willis led Clarion with 19 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds, while Calvin Edwards added 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Mike Kromka and McQueen each chipped in 12 points to give the Golden Eagles four players in double figures. Kromka had seven rebounds and McQueen six boards and four assists. Teer chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.
 
McDowell paced West Chester with 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Breeden had 13 points and three assists but shot just 4 of 14 from the field. Carl Johnson and Corey Blake each had 12 points off the bench with Blake also adding 12 rebounds and Jaleel Mack had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
 
The Golden Eagles led by eight, 39-31, at halftime and built the lead to 10, 41-31, in the first minute of the second half before West Chester responded going on a 24-9 run to take a 55-48 lead on two McDowell free throws with 11:51 to play in regulation.
 
West Chester still led by seven, 57-50, with just over 10 minutes to play before Clarion took off on a 13-4 run led by five points from Edwards and four from Teer to take a 63-61 advantage on a three-pointer by Edwards with 5:12 left.
 
Edwards' trey started a sequence that saw the lead chance three times with four ties in the final 5:12 of regulation.
 
Clarion scored the game's first nine points and led 19-10 halfway through the first half before West Chester battled back within one, 30-29, with just over three minutes to play in the half. The Golden Eagles, though, finished the half on a 9-2 run to take the eight-point halftime lead.
 
NOTES – Clarion returns to action at 3 p.m. Sunday at Millersville … It was Clarion's first overtime game since a 90-81 loss at Mercyhurst Jan. 19, and the Golden Eagles won an overtime contest for the first time since getting a 103-98 victory at Slippery Rock Feb. 20, 2010 … It was the first time Clarion and West Chester played an overtime game since the Golden Eagles won by an identical 80-77 score in the 2001 PSAC Title game at Edinboro March 3, 2001. It was Clarion's first PSAC Title … Clarion shot 50.9 percent from the field (28 of 55) including a blistering 56 percent (14 of 25) in the first half while West Chester shot 42.6 percent (29 of 68) in the contest. Each team had 35 rebounds and hit four three-pointers. The difference came at the free-throw line where Clarion was 20 of 27 and West Chester 15 of 19.