Box Score CLARION – In a battle for first place in the PSAC West, two-time defending champion and No. 14 IUP used a game-ending 9-4 run to beat homestanding Clarion 70-65 Saturday night at Tippin Gym.
 
Clarion (11-5 overall, 7-3 PSAC West) led for nearly the entire game before IUP's game-ending spurt propelled the Crimson Hawks (12-2, 9-1) to victory.
 
The game was tied at 61 following an old-school three-point play by Clarion's Bud Teer with 2:34 to play, but IUP's Julian Sanders nailed a three-pointer from about two feet behind the arc with 1:59 to play to give the Crimson Hawks the lead for good.
 
On the play, Clarion's Calvin Edwards almost had a steal before the ball bounced IUP's way and Sanders hit the shot.
 
On IUP's next possession, Ashton Smith hit a tough jumper in the lane to make it a five-point game before Leonard Patterson's driving layup with 39 seconds left got Clarion back to within three, 63-66. But IUP hit four straight free throws to put the game away.
 
Clarion, which led by as many as 10, 16-6, midway through the first half, held a 35-34 halftime lead after IUP went on a half-ending 8-2 run thanks to five Danny Ayebo points.
 
The Golden Eagles got the lead back to seven, 42-35, early in the second half and led 52-47 following a Calvin Edwards three-pointer with 11:30 to play.
 
But Clarion made just four baskets in the final 11:30 allowing IUP to outscore the Golden Eagles 23-13 down the stretch.
 
Freshman Winfield Willis led Clarion with 17 points including three three-pointers and added five rebounds and three assists. Edwards added 15 points on four three-pointers and also dished out three assists while Paul McQueen had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Bud Teer added 12 points and five boards off the bench.
 
Sanders led all scorers with 23 points for IUP with Smith adding 16. Anthony Wells had eight points, eight rebounds and five assists.
 
Clarion returns to action at 8 p.m. Wednesday when it travels to Lock Haven.
 
NOTES – Five of the last six Clarion-IUP games have been decided by nine points or less including three by five or fewer points. IUP has won three of those games … Clarion has played nine games this season decided by seven points or less and is 6-3 in those games … With his 17 points, Willis now has 267 on the year moving him to seventh place in freshman scoring at Clarion since 1970 … The 65 points were the fewest by the Golden Eagles since scoring 65 in a 65-63 win at East Stroudsburg Nov. 20 … IUP shot 48.1 percent (26 of 54) from the floor while Clarion was 44.4 percent (24 of 54) including 35.5 percent (11 of 31) in the second half. After hitting 5 of 8 threes in the first half, the Golden Eagles were 2 of 11 from behind the arc after halftime … Clarion was 10 of 14 from the free-throw line, the 14 attempted foul shots were the fewest by the Golden Eagles since shooting 12 at Kutztown Nov. 19 … IUP was 10 of 12 from the line, the fewest free throws by a NCAA Division II Clarion opponent this year … Clarion's 10 turnovers tied a season low. The Golden Eagles also had 10 turnovers at Millersville Dec. 4 and vs. Penn State-DuBois Dec. 20 … With the loss, Clarion falls into a second-place tie in the PSAC West with Edinboro and Mercyhurst a game ahead of Slippery Rock, Gannon and California and two back of IUP … Clarion visits IUP Feb. 4.