MANSFIELD, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle men's basketball team erased a 14-point halftime deficit for a stunning victory on the first night of conference action, as Clarion defeated Mansfield 77-75 at Decker Gymnasium to open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play.
 
The turnaround looks even more drastic when considered in full context, as Mansfield led 64-53 with 7:59 left to play in the second half. Saraj Ali took a pass from Idris Ali and threw down a dunk to make it an 11-point game. Steve Kelly got the rally going with a three-pointer on the subsequent possession, and Gavin Cote added a fast break trey after a Clarion defensive stop. That turned the 11-point deficit into a five-point game in the span of 57 seconds, and Cote added another three-pointer at the 5:03 mark to draw his team to within three points.
 
With 4:28 left in regulation, Justice Easter bounced a pass into the paint to Jayson Harris, with the latter throwing down a baseline dunk to cut the lead to one point. Neither team scored again until the 2:55 mark, when Harris dished to Cote for a corner trey that completed the comeback and put the Golden Eagles ahead 69-67. Harris made it 71-67 with a bucket on the next trip down the floor, and Kelly made it 73-69 with under two minutes to go. Kelly had another key play in the final seconds, driving to the hoop for a score to make it 75-71. Mansfield pulled to within 77-75 in the final seconds but the Golden Eagles held on for the win.
 
 Cam Kearney led all Golden Eagles with 20 points and 11 rebounds, giving him his second double-double in as many games. Kelly, meanwhile, had 17 points, seven rebounds and a team-high five assists. Harris scored 14 points and pulled down eight boards, while Cote came off the bench for 16 points.
 
The Mounties opened up the game on a 7-0 run, but the Golden Eagles eventually got on the board on a pull-up jumper by Kearney. He pulled his team to within five points midway through the first half, scoring on a layup at the 10:54 mark to make it 14-9, and Steve Kelly drove to the hoop and scored after a defensive stop to make it a three-point game. Gavin Cote pulled the Golden Eagles to within 16-13 after a pair of free throw makes but the Mounties responded with a 14-3 run, taking a 30-16 lead with just under five minutes to play in the half. Jeremy Thomas II scored with 3:41 left in the period to cut the deficit to 30-20, but Mansfield expanded the lead on a make by Julian Wilson to make it 39-25 at the break.
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