Box Score

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – A 22-4 run sandwiched between halftime helped the Clarion University men's basketball team get a 77-71 win at Millersville in PSAC men's basketball action Sunday afternoon.
 
Clarion (5-3 overall, 3-1 PSAC West) trailed 30-23 with 5:09 left in the first half but ended the half on an 11-4 run to forge a 34-all tie at the break. The Golden Eagles then scored the first 11 points of the second half and built the lead to as many as 13 halfway through the second half.
 
Millersville (2-6, 0-4 PSAC East) tried to fight back and got to within four, 69-65, with 1:01 to play before the Golden Eagles hit 8 of 10 free throws, including 5 of 6 from Winfield Willis, to seal the victory.
 
Willis also played a key role in the game-changing run scoring five points in the spurt before halftime and three more after the break on his way to a game-high 24 points. The freshman was 8 of 16 from the floor including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
 
In all, Clarion had five players in double figures. Paul McQueen added 14 tallies, Leonard Patterson had 12 points and five assists, Calvin Edwards chipped in 11 points while going 9 of 10 from the charity stripe and Bud Teer had 11 points and four rebounds.
 
Larry Grant led Millersville with 20 points and four rebounds with Mike Seibert adding 19 point while hitting four three-pointers. Anthony Coleman chipped in 11 points, and Elijah Obade had nine tallies, 12 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
 
Clarion shot 53.5 percent (23 of 43) from the field, the second straight game the Golden Eagles have shot better than 50 percent. That included a sizzling 56.5 percent (13 of 23) in the first half. Millersville, meanwhile, was just under 50 percent at 46.4 percent from the field (26 of 56). Clarion had an advantage at the free-throw line going 25 of 34 to Millersville's 12 of 16.
 
For the second straight game, Clarion got off to a hot start taking an early 12-7 lead thanks to threes from McQueen and Patterson.
 
But Millersville answered back and took a pair of seven-point leads of its own the last being the 30-23 advantage on an Obade layup at the 5:09 mark of the first half.
 
Clarion fought back and tied the game in the final 40 seconds of the half on a Drew Vandermeer basket. Vandermeer had three rebounds to go with his basket.
 
Patterson then scored five points at the start of the second half during the 11-0 run that helped the Golden Eagles take control of the game.
 
Clarion returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when it hosts Central Penn. It is the first of three home games for the Golden Eagles this week. They also host Shippensburg at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Cheyney at 4 p.m. Saturday prior to the holiday break.
 
NOTES – Clarion has won a season-high four straight games … Willis is averaging a team-high 17.9 ppg on the year and is one of four Golden Eagles in double figures. Also reaching double digits on the year at McQueen (15.5 ppg), Edwards (13.6 ppg) and Teer (10.8 ppg).