Box Score INDIANA, Pa. – A spirited Clarion comeback attempt from a 16-point deficit halfway through the second half came up just short in a 61-57 loss to IUP in Indiana Saturday evening.
 
Clarion (8-12 overall, 2-8 PSAC West) trailed 50-34 with 12:52 to play but went on a 20-7 run to get within three, 57-54, on a Hannah Heeter layup with 2:35 to play.
 
The Golden Eagles then had two shots roll of the rim – one by Jasmine Boyd and one by Tania Holmes – and a third opportunity end in a held ball in the final two minutes before IUP's Talen Watson hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to extend the lead to 59-54. Kelly Johnson hit a 3-pointer with just over two seconds left to get Clarion back within one, but Leslie Stapleton's two free throws a second later sealed the victory for IUP (14-6, 5-5).
 
Johnson and Heeter were front in center during the Clarion comeback attempt with Johnson scoring seven of her game-high 17 points during the spurt and Heeter netting six of her 16 during the run. Heeter finished with her sixth straight double-double, her 10^th of the season and the 39^th of her career by hauling down 11 rebounds. Johnson added four steals, while Jones had a game-high five assists to go with four points.
 
Watson and Stapleton led IUP with 14 points each, while Marita Mathe had 12, all in the first half on four 3-pointers. Amy Fairman chipped in with 10 points.
 
IUP started strong scoring 23 of the game's first 27 points to take a 23-4 lead nine minutes into the contest.
 
The Crimson Hawks continued to lead by 19, 28-9, with nine minutes left in the half before Clarion went on a 15-4 run to close the gap to single digits, 32-24, with 2 ½ minutes left in the half. Cara Cook (5 points) and Delrika Jones-Carey (4 points) played key roles off the bench during the spurt.
 
The late first-half run helped the Golden Eagles get within nine, 35-26, at halftime. But IUP started the second half with a 15-8 surge that saw all 15 points come from Watson and Stapleton with Stapleton hitting three 3-pointers for nine points and Watson adding six.
 
Clarion returns to action with a PSAC West game at Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES – Heeter shot 7 of 9 from the field a game after having one of her worst shooting performances in a Clarion University (3 of 13) vs. Slippery Rock Wednesday … Heeter's 39 double-doubles are the fourth most ever at Clarion, while her 10 this season are the fifth most by a junior in school history. She is also just the second Golden Eagle to have at least 10 double-doubles in her first three seasons joining Heather Cigich, who did so from 2002-2004 … Johnson concluded a strong week that saw her score 46 points and haul down 13 rebounds …. Jasmine Boyd added nine points and four rebounds for Clarion, while Tania Holmes had four steals.