LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles suffered their first PSAC conference loss of the season, falling in a crossover matchup at Lock Haven by a score of 70-60. Clarion jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half, but Lock Haven managed to cut the lead to two by halftime before outscoring them 38-26 in the second half.
Clarion saw Jeremy Thomas II return to the lineup for the first time since exiting the November 19th Lake Erie game. He scored a team-high 22 points, added eight rebounds, and recorded six blocks. Cam Kearney contributed a double-double for the Golden Eagles, with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The duo combined 43 of the Golden Eagles' 60 points in the game.
In the first half, the Golden Eagles raced out to a quick 23-6 lead in the first ten minutes, making nine of their first 13 shots. Trey Nelson and Gavin Cote hit a pair of transition three-pointers to force the Bald Eagles to take a timeout. Lock Haven responded with a 10-0 run, spearheaded by Idris Ali's six points.
A turnaround jumper by Kearney extended the Golden Eagles' lead to seven with 2:44 remaining in the first half. Lock Haven continued to close the gap, with an Isaiah Stewart layup that cut the deficit to four, before adding another basket to close the first half just down two points.
Lock Haven completed the comeback with 17 minutes left in the contest when Stewart hit a three-pointer, stole the ball, and finished with a layup, five of his game-high 26 points, to give Lock Haven the lead.
The Bald Eagles continued to build their lead, getting as high as 11 before the under-12 media timeout. Thomas II scored six straight points for the Golden Eagles, including an emphatic transition dunk off a Josiah Dow steal. Trey Nelson scored a floating layup to bring Lock Haven's lead to five with just under five minutes left in the game.
Kearney made some clutch plays down the stretch, hitting a tough layup off an offensive rebound and making a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one with just 2:30 remaining.
Lock Haven responded with a slam dunk and forced a turnover that led to a layup, extending their lead back to five. The Bald Eagles made seven of their eight free throws to close out the game.
