CLARION, Pa. - On a night that saw the Clarion men's basketball team shoot the lights out from beyond the arc, the Golden Eagles managed to earn their first victory of the season, cruising past Penn State Greater Allegheny by a final score of 92-76 at Tippin Gymnasium Wednesday evening. The victory moves the Golden Eagles to 1-2 on the season. They will return to action Saturday when they head to East Stroudsburg University to open up PSAC competition.
Six different Golden Eagles finished the game with double-digit points, with
BJ Andrews leading the way with 22. Andrews also enjoyed the hot hand from out deep, knocking down four of seven from three-point range and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds in the process.
Manny Powell followed closely behind with 20 points and a team-leading nine assists. The junior also went a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line.
Full results:
All in all, the Blue and Golden knocked down 13 total three-pointers on the evening, with six players knocking down at least one from range. Though they shot just under 50% from the field (33-67), Clarion managed 40.6% (13-32) from beyond the arc and played with relentless pressure all throughout the game.
The Golden Eagles were firmly in control all night, however PSU did manage to keep things interesting. Both squads were neck and neck through most of the first half, with PSU enjoying a two-point lead with just over eight minutes left in the first. However a pair of back-to-back threes from
Justin Grant and a timely block from
Akeem Williams helped the Eagles pull away and secure a 44-29 lead at the half.
It would be a lead Clarion would not relinquish, turning up the heat in the second half for 48 points. They also made their presence felt on defense with four block and six steals on the evening, including a thrilling sequence from Grant that saw him swat a three-point attempt at one end before chasing down a lose ball for an easy lay-up at the other end. Clarion's greatest lead of the night was 90-61 with just over two minutes two play in the second half.
