CLARION, Pa. - The Clarion men's basketball team played host to the Seton Hill Griffins Monday night, picking up an overtime victory 83-77. The win moves the Golden Eagles to 8-11 overall, while the Griffins fall to 3-17 on the season.  

Guard Gerald Jarmon and big man Lawrence Lemon started the game hot, combining for 14 of the first 16 Clarion points, as the Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 16-10 lead before the first media timeout forced a stoppage in play. 

Coming out of the media timeout, Clarion added two more baskets to push their lead to 10 points thanks to a jumper on the elbow from Mekhi Reynolds and an easy catch and shoot layup in the lane from Jordan Agyemang. 

Seton Hill managed to gain their footing in the offensive end of the floor, going on a 9-2 run with just over eight minutes left to play in the first half. 

The Griffins pulled back within just one possession, trailing by three points 24-21, but the Golden Eagles used an offensive run of their own, scoring eight straight points, using the 8-0 run to push their lead to nine points, leading 30-21 with just under five minutes left in regulation time. 

A costly turnover for the Griffins with 4:19 left in the half, left the Golden Eagles threatening to stretch their lead even further, but a turnover of their own left the score 30-23 with 3:59 left in the first frame. 

Seton Hill went one for two at the charity stripe out of the media timeout making the score 30-24. After the missed free throw,Connor Ferrell raced down the floor and buried a three pointer in transition to make the score 33-24, but again the Griffins stormed back. 

Seton Hill scored seven straight points to make the score 33-31, but after a pull up jumper from Ferrell Clarion held a four point lead, 35-31, with 2:15 seconds left to play.

Jarmon made a pair of free throws and then knocked down a step back jumper from the left side of the court to make the score 39-32 with just over one minute to play in the half. Feeling the heat, Jarmon called for a pass on the right elbow, broke down his defender and hit a clutch jumper as Clarion used their momentum to push the lead to 41-34. 

A foul after a missed basket from the Griffins allowed Jarmon to head back to the charity stripe, with just five seconds left in the half and the 79% free throw shooter proved strong as the Blue and Gold went to the locker room with a commanding lead 43-34.

Jarmon paced the offense in the first half, scoring 17 points on five of eight shooting, as well as a perfect seven for seven from the free throw line. 

Agyemang grabbed a game high six rebounds in the first half in 14 minutes of action, while Clarion shot an impressive 55% as a team in the first frame. 

Clarion started the second half just like they ended the first half, halting the Seton Hill attack and getting to the free throw line. Ferrell added a pair of free throws at the 19:11 mark, as Clarion took their largest lead of the game, 45-34. 

Ferrell then added another basket off of a tip-in at the 18:01 mark, making the score 47-36, and after a charging foul from the Griffins, Clarion was back on the attack looking to take bigger command. 

Clarion stretched the lead back to double digits after Kaison Branch found Lemon on an inbounds play underneath the Clarion basket to make the score 49-39, but Seton Hill scored nine straight points, pulling back within just one point, before the Golden Eagles were forced to take a timeout. 

Out of the Clarion timeout Seton Hill made a three pointer to grab the lead momentarily, but Ferrell knocked down his signature turn around jumper to tie things at 51-51 heading into the under 12 minute media timeout. 

Trailing by just one basket, Steve Kelly grabbed a rebound at the 10:55 mark and found Jarmon on the left wing, who twinkled the twine, making a wide open three as Clarion pulled back within one point 55-54. 

Ferrell made the score 56-55 giving the Golden Eagles the lead after a pair of free throws, but just like their last meeting, the Griffins continued to hang around, making a basket to take the lead 57-56 with under ten minutes left to play in the game. 

Seton Hill took their biggest lead of the second half, at the time, stretching their lead to three points, but Ferrell came up clutch once again, burying a three pointer at the 8:49 mark to tie the game at 59-59. 

After a missed free throw from Agyemang,he immediately made up for it on the defensive end of the floor, racing the length of the floor and pinning the Griffins transition attack to the backboard, grabbing the rebound and finding Kaison Branch who was fouled heading back down the floor. 

After making both free throws Clarion tied the game 61-61 with just under eight minutes to play in the game. 

Seton Hill's hot handed shooter, Samuel Tabe, took the game over scoring his 31st and 33rd points of the game as the Griffins managed to build a 67-61 lead before Clarion took a :30 second timeout to try and slow down the attack. 

Lemon picked up a block on the defensive side of the ball, blocking Jaylen Stewart and raced down the floor, picking up an easy basket in transition, leaving his defender on skates with a fake pass to a streaking Jarmon as Clarion pulled back within one basket, 71-68. 

Jarmon pulled Clarion back within two points, running his defender off of a screen and shooting a mid-range jumper to make the score 72-70. Jarmon was huge on the other end of the floor, stopping the Griffin attack in transition and drawing a foul that allowed Clarion to have a chance to tie the game with 1:41 left in the game. 

After Seton Hill used their last timeout of the game at the :58 second mark, the Clarion defense came up big forcing a miss to keep the Blue and Gold within striking distance and after a missed free throw from Seton Hill's Jimmy Moon, Clarion had just :25 seconds left to try and tie the ballgame. 

After the stop head coach Damian Pitts used a full length timeout to draw up a sure fire inbounds play and that's exactly what he did,  Ferrell managed to run his defender off of a series of screens and slice his way to the basket, making a right handed layup with :17 seconds left in the game.
 As history would repeat itself the Golden Eagles and Griffins headed to an overtime period with the score tied 72-72.

Lemon started the OT period with a pair of free throws, his 17th and 18th points of the contest giving Clarion the lead momentarily, but after a good layup from Seton Hill's Tabe both teams were tied again at 74 a piece. 

Seton Hill had a chance to take a two point lead but after Drew Green went one for two at the free throw line, Clarion regained the lead with a strong layup from Lemon who grabbed the rebound and powered his way up and through a defender to give Clarion the 76-75 lead. 

With 2:40 left in the game, Branch put the Golden Eagles up three points, 78-75 making a tough right handed layup, shifting all the momentum in favor of Clarion. After a Griffins foul, Lemon stretched the Clarion lead to five points, 80-75, but Seton Hill would not go away easily. 

With just under one minute left to play, Branch went to the line for a pair of free throws, and after going one for two at the charity stripe, the Blue and Gold held a commanding two possession lead, forcing the Griffins to take a quick timeout. 

Lemon sealed the victory for Clarion with :29 seconds left to play in OT, burying one of two free throws to stretch the lead to 82-77. After Jarmon forced a steal with :16 seconds left to play, he made one free throw to put the game out of reach, as Clarion picked up the victory 83-77.

Jarmon, Lemon and Ferrell each finished the game with over 20 points, as Jarmon and  Lemon led the way with 23 points. Ferrell notched his first double-double of the season grabbing 11 rebounds, while adding 22 points in 40 minutes of action.

The Golden Eagles shot 42% from the field and 24% from beyond the arc, while knocking down 24 of 29 free throws at an 83% clip.

Seton Hill's Samuel Tabe scored a game high 36 points, while Sean Dillon added 12 points and Ryan Meis added 10. 

Clarion will be back in action on Wednesday when they play host to PSAC West foe Slippery Rock. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 pm.