CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle men's basketball team fell in their season opener on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 65-49 decision to Winston-Salem State in the first game of the Clarion Tipoff Classic. Clarion tightened things up in the second half but were unable to close the gap with the Rams.
 
The Golden Eagles featured three players that contributed heavily to their offensive output on Saturday, led by Cam Kearney, who tied for the game-high with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Madior Seye posted 14 points and five rebounds in 33 minutes of action, while Mekhi Reynolds notched 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Jayson Harris had a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Winston-Salem led the Golden Eagles in several specialty categories, including second-chance points (11-2) and bench points (16-2). Clarion committed 18 turnovers compared to just 12 for the Rams.
 
Clarion got off to a hot start in the game, opening on a 9-2 run that included a three-pointer by Kearney and was capped by a jumper from Reynolds. The Rams turned the tide, though, scoring 11 straight points to take a 13-9 lead. Reynolds cut the deficit to two possessions late in the first half, making a three-pointer to knock the lead down to 23-18, but Jon Hicklin added a three-pointer 16 seconds later to make it an eight-point game. Isaac Person pushed the lead to double-digits with a trey at 2:39, and Jaylen Alston's make with 13 seconds left made it 34-22 at the break.
 
Winston-Salem kept the Golden Eagles at arm's length for the remainder of the game, though Clarion cut the deficit to 10 points at the 17:21 mark with a jumper by Seye in the paint. Kearney brought the team within a dozen points at the 2:47 mark with a layup, but the Rams were able to expand upon their lead and hold on for the win.
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