Box Score LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Thanks to clutch free-throw shooting in the final minute and strong defense in the final minute, the Clarion University women's basketball team defeated Lock Haven 85-79 Saturday at Lock Haven.
 
The Golden Eagles (4-5), who led by as many as 19 early in the second half, trailed 78-76 when Emma Fickel, who had a game-high 20 points for Clarion, was fouled by Lock Haven's Marrysa Moyer while taking a 3-pointer with 1:02 to play. Fickel calmly sank all three charity shots, her only three points of the second half, to give Clarion a 79-78 lead.
 
On Lock Haven's ensuing possession, Hannah Heeter, who finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot despite sitting out all but six minutes of the first half with two fouls, blocked a Kelsey Ryan shot after Ryan had grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss by Lysa Mealing with 48 seconds to play.
 
Eighteen seconds later, Heeter was fouled, and the junior sank both free throws to put Clarion up 81-78.
 
After Moyer, who had a team-best 16 points to go with nine rebounds, five assists and five steals, hit one of two charity shots to get Lock Haven back within two, Kelly Johnson made it a two possession game when she hit two free throws with 14 seconds to play.
 
Four seconds later, Tania Holmes closed the come back with a steal and a basket to set the final score.
 
Clarion led by eight, 72-64, following a Raven Jones basket with 5:08 to play, but Lock Haven came charging back using an 8-2 run over the next two minutes to take a 76-74 lead on two Hannah Gildea free throws with 3:07 to play.
 
The Golden Eagles tied the game at the 2:54 mark on two Heeter free throws before Lock Haven took its final lead of the game, 78-76, on a Moyer layup with 1:21 left.
 
Jasmine Boyd added 16 points and eight rebounds for Clarion, while Johnson had 14 tallies. Fickel chipped in five rebounds and four steals to go with her 20 points, which included three first-half 3-pointers helping Clarion take a 47-32 halftime lead.
 
Lysa Mealing added 15 points and five rebounds for Lock Haven, while JJ Hilliard had 11.
 
Clarion used a 19-3 run late in the first half to grab the 15-point halftime lead.
 
The Golden Eagles led by just one, 28-27, with just over five minutes to play before going on the streak that started with a Jones jumper at the 5:12 mark and ended with a Johnson layup with 31 seconds left in the half that gave Clarion a 47-30 lead. Fickel had 10 of her 20 points during the run including two of her 3-pointers.
 
Clarion got the lead to 19, 51-32, early in the second half and still led by 18, 59-41, following a Heeter basket with 14:21 to play before Lock Haven stormed back using a 19-6 run of its own to get back within five, 65-60, with 8:42 left on an old-school three by Mealing.
 
But the Golden Eagles looked like they had weathered the storm when Boyd connected on an old-school 3-pointer of her own and two layups by Jones gave Clarion the 8-point lead with just over five minutes left.
 
Lock Haven had other ideas and thanks to four points from Hilliard went on the late run that gave the Lady Eagles their first lead since early in the first half.  
 
Clarion is now off until 2014 when it travels to Bloomsburg for a 1 p.m. game Jan. 3.
 
NOTES – This marked the first time since 1981 that a game between Lock Haven and Clarion wasn't a PSAC West contest. The Lady Eagles were members of the PSAC West from the start of conference play in women's basketball until this season when they moved to the PSAC East … Clarion has won four straight and 23 of 28 from Lock Haven … The Golden Eagles take a 2-game win streak into the holiday break.