CLARION, Pa. --- A strong first half gave way in the second as the Golden Eagle men's basketball team lost 86-66 to Slippery Rock at Tippin Gym on Saturday. Clarion started the game out strong but ultimately fell behind The Rock in the second half.
 
The difference in the game was Slippery Rock's ability to stabilize their offense in the final 20 minutes, as The Rock shot 68.0 percent from the field in the second half to turn what had been a back-and-forth game into a big lead. Clarion, meanwhile, shot just 38.7 percent from the field in the second half, including a cold stretch early on that allowed the Rock to take a sizable lead.
 
Gerald Jarmon led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while Jayson Harris scored 11 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Mekhi Reynolds posted 16 points off the bench, while Cam Kearney added 10 points in total.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the game on an 8-2 run, with Harris and Steve Kelly notching four of those points apiece to get things started for Clarion. The Rock pulled closer but the Golden Eagles did not allow them to take the advantage, with Jarmon finishing an and-one at the 13:51 mark to make it 13-8, and Reynolds draining a three-pointer on the next offensive possession to boost the lead to 16-10. Jomo Goings pulled the Rock to within 18-17 with 9:22 to go in the half but Jarmon was there again to hold off the opponent with a three-pointer.
 
Slippery Rock did eventually take the lead, and at one point in the first half led 28-25 before a short Golden Eagle run. Kearney eventually posted an old-fashioned three-point play of his own to take a 34-33 lead, but Khalid Gates scored with 45 seconds remaining to give the Rock a one-point lead heading into the locker room at half.
 
Things did not turn bad immediately in the second half, as Jarmon briefly put the Golden Eagles back up with a jumper at the 18:18 mark. That gave Clarion a 38-37 lead, but the Rock responded with a 22-4 run over the next eight minutes that gave them control of the game. Clarion got it down to 11 points with roughly 6:34 to play, after a jumper by Jarmon and a free throw from Kearney, but they got no closer as Slippery Rock closed it out.
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