Box Score Video Highlights

CLARION, Pa. – Thanks to big games from Emma Fickel and Kelly Johnson and a hot shooting second half, the Clarion University women's basketball team evened its record at 6-6 with an 82-73 win over PSAC East leading West Chester in PSAC Crossover action Wednesday night at Clarion's Tippin Gym.
 
Johnson tied for game-high honors with 23 points, her second 20-point game of the season, while adding five rebounds, five steals and four assists off the bench for the Golden Eagles, while Fickel recorded her third 20-point game of the season with 22 points while shooting 8 of 16 from the field including 6 of 8 in the second half. That helped Clarion shoot 69 percent (20 of 29) in the second 20 minutes after shooting 31.3 percent (10 of 32 in the first half). The hot shooting allowed the Golden Eagles to outscore West Chester (9-5) 55-45 in the second half.
 
Meanwhile, eight of Johnson's 23 points came during a key 20-3 run in the second half that took a 2-point, 37-35, deficit with 15:50 to play and turned it into a 15-point lead, 55-40, with 10:38 left.
 
Hannah Heeter, who just missed her fifth double-double of the season but still finished with her 20^th career 15-rebound game (15) to go with nine points, four assists, two blocks and two steals, and Raven Jones, who had eight points, each added four points during the run that also saw Fickel and Maria Taylor score for the Golden Eagles.
 
Clarion was then able to get the lead to as many as 16 twice after the run with the Golden Eagles going up 16 for the final time, 70-54, in a Fickel 3-pointer, one of three for the senior in the game, with 6:29 to play.
 
But West Chester, which is 1-7 all-time at Tippin Gym, didn't go away quietly answering with an 11-1 run that was fueled by three 3-pointers including two from Kendall Benovy, who tied Johnson for game-high honors with a career-high 23 points while adding 11 rebounds, to get back within five, 71-66, with 3:37 to play on Benovy's second triple of the run.
 
Heeter, though, answered with a layup to get the lead back to seven, 73-66, before a Benovy layup followed by a free throw by Brooke Mullen pulled the Golden Rams to as close as they would get at four, 73-69, with 2:34 to play.
 
Johnson, though, hit one of two free throws and then connected on a layup with 1:41 left to return the lead to seven, 76-69.
 
A Keisha Steele-Hook basket 15 seconds later gave West Chester late hope making it 76-71, but Clarion hit 5 of 8 free throws in the final 56 seconds including 3 of 4 from Fickel, who now has 938 career points, to seal the victory, Clarion's fourth in the past five games.
 
Tania Holmes added nine points, seven assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block for Clarion, while Jasmine Boyd had seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Steele-Hooke chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for West Chester with Serifat Junaid added 13 points and seven rebounds and Brittany Sicinski 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Clarion returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts the No. 2 team in the country, Gannon.
 
NOTES – Heeter's 20 career games of at least 15 rebounds is the school record … Clarion held West Chester to 34.2 percent (27 of 79) shooting while forcing 17 West Chester turnovers thanks in large part to 12 steals … Johnson now has four games of at least five steals on the season … Holmes has 16 assists in her last two games.