Box Score CLARION, Pa. – Anthony Harvey's off-balanced jumper at the horn from just inside the three-point arc lifted visiting Thiel to a 61-59 upset win over Clarion in the Golden Eagles season opener Monday at Tippin Gym.
 
Clarion (0-1) led by eight, 54-46, after a pair of Corey Bellovich free throws with 6:04 to play but scored just two points over the next five minutes allowing Thiel to go on a 13-2 run that gave the Tomcats a 59-56 lead on an AJ Forbes layup with 1:13 to play.
 
The Golden Eagles weren't quite through, though, as Mike Kromka hit one of two free throws with 1:03 to play, and then, after a defensive stop, Calvin Edwards was fouled taking a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left.
 
Edwards hit the first two free throws before missing the third one leaving the game tied at 59.
 
The Golden Eagles then appeared to be in good position to force overtime after playing strong defense on Thiel's final possession, but Harvey took the desperation, last-second shot that bounced high off the rim and then back in touching of a wild celebration by the NCAA Division III visitors, who became the first non-NCAA Division I or Division II team to beat Clarion at home since Pitt-Bradford knocked off the Golden Eagles 57-50 Jan. 27, 2003.    
 
Edwards led Clarion with 13 points including 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. Anthony Baker added 11 points and four rebounds, while Bellovich had 10 points and eight boards. Freshman Evan Battle chipped in seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal off the bench, and Kromka had a game-high 11 rebounds to go with four points and two steals.
 
Harvey led all scorers with 17 points with Kamran McCaskill adding 13 points. Harvey also had four assists, four rebounds and four steals. Forbes had a team-best eight rebounds to go with seven points.
 
Clarion led by as many as 11, 29-18, late in the first half before settling for a 31-24 halftime lead.
 
Thiel then closed within a point, 35-34, early in the second half before an 11-5 Clarion run fueled by seven Baker points got the lead back to eight just a little over midway through the second half.
 
Clarion returns to action at 7 p.m. Thursday when it hosts La Roche.
 
NOTES – The game counted as a regular-season game for Clarion but as an exhibition game for Thiel because of a quark in the NCAA rules about official start dates for Division II vs. Division III teams. The same thing occurred at the NCAA Division I level Friday when Michigan beat Slippery Rock in a game that counted for Michigan but not for The Rock … The loss was just the second time Clarion has ever lost a season opener in Tippin Gym. The Golden Eagles are 19-2 in season openers at Tippin … Thiel has now beaten Clarion all three times it has served as Clarion's opening opponent with the other two wins coming in 1941 (40-34) and 1945 (49-29). Clarion now leads the all-time series vs. the Tomcats 17-13 but it was Thiel's first win over the Golden Eagles since a 51-44 win Feb. 7, 1950.