CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion women's basketball team controlled all facets of the game in victory on Saturday, using a balanced effort to defeat the IUP Crimson Hawks 64-59 at Tippin Gymnasium.  The Golden Eagles (12-7, 9-4 PSAC) won their first game against the Crimson Hawks since Feb. 19, 2011, snapping a 10-game skid against IUP in the process.
 
All eight players to see the court contributed in some way to the win, with Delrika Jones-Carey authoring a 12-point, nine-rebound performance over the course of a season-high 37 minutes.  Jordan Bekelja filled the stat sheet with 19 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Tyra Polite added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. 
 
Clarion held IUP to a 30.6 field goal percentage in the first half in taking a 26-24 advantage at the halftime break.  The big moment came in the third quarter when the Golden Eagles outpaced the Crimson Hawks 23-16, and then held off a rally by IUP in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
 
Holding a two-point lead entering the start of the third quarter, Bekelja scored a second-chance point at the 8:31 mark to put Clarion ahead 29-24.  She put the Golden Eagles ahead by three possessions with a make in the paint at the 6:40 mark, and the Clarion lead reached 37-29 on a midrange jumper by Jen Straw with 5:11 to go in the period.  Polite kept it a three-score game with a drive and make down the stretch, and Jones-Carey knocked down a jumper from the elbow with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter to put Clarion ahead 49-40 entering the fourth.
 
IUP pulled as close as 59-57 after a three-pointer with 1:28 left in regulation, but Clarion went 5-of-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch to keep them at arm's length.  The Crimson Hawks made just one more field goal the rest of the way as the Golden Eagle defense clamped down.
 
That same defense had done a good job of clamping down early in the first quarter when both teams were struggling to make shots.  IUP led by as many as five points in the opening stanza, going up 11-6 on a transition make from Caroyln Appleby.  Maniah Robinson cut that lead to just one point at the end of the quarter, though, making a jumper with 13 seconds left to slice the advantage to 13-12.  Clarion had the lead for good less than two minutes in to the second quarter, when Polite laid one in to put the Golden Eagles up 18-16.