CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles returned to the court for the first time since December 7th and defeated the Millersville Marauders 80-71 in a physical PSAC conference crossover contest.
Late in the second half, junior Cam Kearney recorded his 1,000th career point on a free throw that extended the Clarion lead to 70-55. Kearney became the 33rd player in program history to achieve this feat and the first since Gerald Jarmon in the 2022-23 season.
Kearney finished as one of three Golden Eagles in double figures, scoring a game-high 29 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting, along with five rebounds. The junior is currently second in scoring in the PSAC, averaging 21.5 points per game, just 0.4 points behind East Stroudsburg's Lakeem McAliley.
Clarion jumped out to an early 20-12 lead, helped by four three-pointers in the opening minutes. Jeremy Thomas II made his presence felt from the start, scoring seven quick points, including a pair of layups and his first three-pointer of the year. Thomas II finished the game with 12 points, along with a huge defensive performance that included four blocks and two steals.
The Marauders fought back, cutting the lead to just one point after an Aiden Gair three-pointer. However, the Golden Eagles' defense made several key plays, including steals by Gavin Cote and Jaylen Shippen, which led directly to transition layups for Kearney and a 9-0 scoring run that stretched the lead back to 39-28.
Clarion's offense in the first half was highly efficient, shooting 51.72% from the field, including five three-pointers. They capitalized on Millersville turnovers, scoring 11 points off those miscues while executing well in transition.
The second half began sluggishly, with the first points not coming until the 17:11 mark, when Millersville made a pair of free throws. The Marauders continued to chip away at the lead, but momentum shifted in favor of the Golden Eagles when Thomas II received a nice pass from Cote and delivered a thunderous poster dunk on Saraj Ali, pushing the lead back to double figures.
At 12:33, Millersville's Alec Topper made a layup to bring the Golden Eagles' lead down to 51-46, but as they had done all night, Clarion answered. Traden Gray hustled for an offensive rebound, passed it to Trey Nelson, who found a wide-open Kearney in the corner. Kearney knocked down his first three-pointer of the night, and the Golden Eagles extended their lead to 11 after a Thomas II layup.
The Marauders made one final push late in the game, cutting the lead to 70-65 after ramping up their defensive pressure and forcing three straight turnovers. Kearney capped off his huge night with a dagger three-pointer, assisted by Nelson, bringing the Clarion lead to an insurmountable eight points.
