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CLARION – Paul McQueen became the 27^th known player in Clarion history and the 13^th under 24^th-year head coach Ron Righter to score 1,000 career points, as he netted 17 in a key 88-75 win over visiting Slippery Rock Wednesday night at Tippin Gym.
 
McQueen, who needed 11 points to reach 1,000 entering the game, reached the milestone on a layup with 2:02 left in the first half. He needed one before the shot and was also fouled on the play and made the free-throw giving him 13 points in the opening half. He finished the night with 1,006 career points.
 
“Paul has been a gentleman-warrior for us for four years,” Righter said. “He gives 100 percent every practice and every game. And his game is consistent night in and night out. We congratulate him on this wonderful milestone.”
 
McQueen was one of six Clarion players to reach double digits. Bud Teer recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and a season-high tying 17 rebounds. Freshman Winfield Willis had his second straight 20-point game and his seventh of the season with a team-high 22 points. Calvin Edwards and Mike Kromka each added 12 points with Edwards chipping in four assists and Kromka seven rebounds and Leonard Patterson contributed in 10 points and four assists to help Clarion improve to 14-7 overall and 10-5 in the PSAC West.
 
John Bayardelle had a game-high 25 points to lead Slippery Rock (12-7, 9-6), while Aubin Reeves added 15 points and Tommy Kelly 11. Tabari Perry chipped in nine points and nine rebounds with Devin Taylor also scoring nine points to go with six rebounds.
 
A 14-4 Clarion run late in the first half that was fueled by five points from Patterson erased a 26-23 deficit and helped give the Golden Eagles a 40-32 halftime lead.
 
Clarion then used a 7-0 run near the midpoint of the second half to go up by 14, 55-41, with 13:33 to play before a 7-2 run by Slippery Rock got The Rock back within six, 77-71, on a Taylor three with 3:10 left.
 
But the Golden Eagles got a jumper from Kromka at the 2:33 mark that started a 9-0 run that featured Clarion going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to put the game away.
 
Clarion, winner of two straight, travels to IUP for a 7:30 p.m. game Saturday.
 
NOTES – Clarion is 34-10 in the last 44 games vs. Slippery Rock and has won 19 of the last 23 at Tippin Gym … Willis has 352 points on the year, the fourth most by a freshman at Clarion since 1970. He needs six points to tie 1995 PSAC Rookie of the Year Shawn Bellis (358) for third and 22 to match Terry Roseto (374), the school's fourth all-time leading scorer for second … The win was Clarion's first by more than seven points since 96-61 win over Penn State-DuBois Dec. 29 and its first by more than seven over an NCAA Division II squad since beating Shippensburg 77-67 Dec. 9 … McQueen also has 612 rebounds, the eighth known player in school history with 600 … With the win, Clarion moves into soul possession of third place in the PSAC West a game ahead of Slippery Rock and two games back of second-place Mercyhurst and three behind league-leader IUP. The Golden Eagles hold a two-game lead on a PSAC playoff spot with seven games left in the regular season.