Box Score MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Clarion University men's basketball team rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to forge a tie with four minutes to play only to fall at Mansfield 77-73 Friday night.
 
The Golden Eagles (4-8 overall, 2-6 PSAC West) trailed 55-40 following a Joe Bell basket with 14:56 to play but went on a 25-10 run led by six points from Evan Battle and four each by Corey Bellovich, Marques Jones and Calvin Edwards to tie the game at 65 on a Battle layup with 4:05 to play.
 
But Bell, who had monster game with 34 points, 22 rebounds, four blocks, four steals and an assist, started an11-5 Mansfield run by hitting four straight free throws between the 3:32 mark and the 2:46 mark.
 
Bell's free throws put Mansfield (4-8, 2-6) up 69-65, a lead the Mountaineers never relinquished.
 
Clarion did get back to within one when Leonard Patterson hit 3 of 5 free throws between 1:52 and 1:26, but Patters missed the final two charity shots of a three-shot foul at the 1:52 mark before hitting two at 1:26 that left the Golden Eagles down 69-68.
 
Bell, who was 12 of 17 from the field and 10 of 11 from the line, answered with an old-school three with 1:01 left to get the lead back to four, 72-68, before a Battle layup pulled Clarion within two, 72-70, with 45 seconds left. But that was as close as Clarion got.
 
Battle recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in just 18 minutes of action. It is the third double-double in the past four games for a Clarion freshman with Aaron Johnson recording the other two. Battle chipped in with an assist and a steal.
 
Jones led Clarion scorers with 19 points while adding two assists and two steals, while Bellovich added a season-best 14 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Kromka chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Chuck Harper added 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block for Mansfield with Charles Becoats also reaching double figures with 10 points.
 
Clarion returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bloomsburg. The game can be heard on the internet by going to www.clariongoldeneagles.com with Matt Catrillo providing the play-by-play. Live stats of the game will also be available at www.clariongoldeneagles.com.