CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion women's basketball team punched its ticket to the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season, defeating Slippery Rock 70-62 to clinch a playoff berth.  The Golden Eagles (14-10, 11-7 PSAC) also clinched an overall winning record for the first time since the 2009-10 season and their first season of .500 or better in conference play since the 2007-08 campaign.
 
A balanced effort was required to finish the job, though, with four players reaching double-figures in scoring.  Delrika Jones-Carey had a game-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added seven rebounds and two blocks.  Jordan Bekelja finished with 16 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.  Tyra Polite and Jen Straw tied for the game-high with eight rebounds apiece, and the duo finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.  Ashley Deleonibus excelled off the bench with eight points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in just 15 minutes.
 
Clarion was deadly efficient in the second half, shooting 12-of-24 (.500) from the field to hold off the feisty Rock.  They upped their lead to three possessions by the end of the third quarter and held serve throughout the fourth as Slippery Rock never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
 
Slippery Rock led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter and at one point held a 20-10 advantage, but Clarion responded with a 13-1 run to stun the Rock and re-take control of the game.  Deleonibus knocked down a jumper from the elbow to tie the score at 21 with 4:45 remaining in the quarter, and Jones-Carey sank a pair of free throws on the next possession to put the Golden Eagles ahead 23-21.  Things got out of hand quickly as the run turned into a 20-3 rout, with Bekelja making it 30-23 with 1:45 left.  When Jones-Carey made a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left, she punctuated what had been a 24-7 run to close the first half and gave the Golden Eagles a 34-27 halftime lead.  The Rock never led again.
 
The status quo remained much the same in the third quarter, with Clarion taking a 54-45 lead after a midrange make by Straw with 29 seconds left in the period.  The Golden Eagles enjoyed their largest lead of the night early in the fourth quarter after a three-pointer from Bekelja made it 59-47, and the edge never dipped below three possessions the rest of the way.