Box Score

CLARION – Despite 51 combined points from Lloyd and Jamar Harrison, the Clarion University men's basketball team dropped an 87-80 decision to visiting IUP in PSAC-West action Saturday night at Tippin Gym.

 

Lloyd scored a game-high 27 points, and Jamar chipped in with 24 points but Clarion's PSAC Playoff hopes look some what of a hit with the loss.

 

Clarion is now in a fifth-place tie in the PSAC-West with Edinboro a game back of California for the fourth and final playoff spot awarded to the PSAC-West. Clarion hosts Cal in what is now a must-win game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. A Golden Eagle win and a win at Gannon next Saturday would still give Clarion a very good shot at making the PSAC Playoffs as they would definitely hold the tiebreaker over Edinboro and could very well hold the tiebreaker over the Vulcans with the two wins.

 

On Saturday, free-throw shooting lifted IUP to the victory, as the Crimson Hawks went 30 of 40 from the free-throw line compared to Clarion's 11 of 15. The last eight points of the game, all scored by IUP, came from the line including a six-shot foul situation where IUP hit 5 of 6 between the 26-second mark and the 23-second mark after the Golden Eagles had taken an 80-79 lead on a Paul McQueen 3-pointer with 43 seconds left.

 

With 26 seconds to play, IUP's Darryl Webb got loose underneath and was fouled hard by Clarion's Paul McQueen. Immediately following the McQueen infraction, Clarion's Bud Teer was issued a technical foul. IUP proceeded to hit three of the four charity shots to take an 82-80 lead. Clarion was then forced to foul the Crimson Hawks again on the inbounds play, and Kevin Stewart connected on both free throws pushing the lead to 84-80. After a missed three by McQueen, Webb hit two more free throws to push the lead to 86-80 with 14 seconds left, and Stewart hit one of two with four seconds left to seal the win.

 

All five IUP starters reached double digits led by 17 points and 12 rebounds from Webb and 17 points from Stewart, who was 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. Will Estrella added 16 points and Julian Sanders and Ashton Smith 15 points each. Stewart also  eight assists and five steals.

 

Clarion led 37-33 at halftime, as Lloyd Harrison went off for 19 points in the first half including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. But Lloyd Harrison was saddled with foul trouble in the second half picking up his fourth midway through the half. In his absence, Jamar Harrison stepped up scoring 15 of his 24 points after the break.

 

The Golden Eagles actually ran the lead to nine, 42-33, a minute into the second half before IUP went on a run that put it up six, 54-48, with 14:34 to play.

 

Clarion, though, answered with a run of its own and was up seven, 71-64, following a Denzil Dennison jumper with 5:28 to play. IUP, however, ended the game on a 23-9 run to secure the win and move just a ½ game back of Mercyhurst for first place in the PSAC-West.

 

NOTES – Lloyd Harrison has now scored 83 points in his last three games … Jamar Harrison recorded his 39^th straight double-digit game and his 10^th game this season of 20 or more points. He went over the 900-career point mark in just two years at Clarion and has 921 … Wednesday night's game with California has been declared a White Out Tippin event with all Clarion fans asked to wear white to the game. The first 300 students with a valid ID will get a t-shirt compliments of Clarion Student Senate and the Clarion Sports Information Office … Clarion head coach Ron Righter remains two wins shy of 400 in his career. He is 398-270 in 25 years as a head coaching including 23 at Clarion, where he is 374-246.