GREENSBURG, Pa. --- A missed Seton Hill free throw gave the Golden Eagles a chance to win the game as time expired, but a Kendon Peebles three-point attempt was just inches too long as the Griffins held on for an 87-85 win over Clarion on Wednesday night.
 
Seton Hill led 87-82 with nine seconds to play in regulation, but a quick three-pointer by Trey Nelson pulled the Golden Eagles to within two points with just a few seconds drained from the clock. Peebles fouled the Griffins' Ryan Meis on the inbounds to force a one-and-one, and Meis missed the front end just short. Peebles cleanly pulled down the rebound and rushed up the floor, heaving up a desperation three-pointer as time expired, but the ball struck the back of the rim and out of harm's way.
 
The shot would have capped an exceptional night for the junior guard, who scored a season-high 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He was highly efficient, doing his damage in just 26 minutes of action. Clarion outscored the Griffins 48-42 in the second half, nearly undoing an eight-point halftime deficit by shooting 17-of-27 (.630) from the field and 7-of-12 (.583) from three-point range.
 
Four Golden Eagles finished the game in double figures, with Peebles leading the way. Jeremy Thomas II added 14 points, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals while playing most of the first half in foul trouble, and Gavin Cote (13) and Josiah Dow (12) both got into double digits.
 
The majority of the game was a high-octane affair, with both sides finishing better than 50.0 percent shooting from the field. Clarion led 28-24 with 6:53 left to go in the first half after a make by Thomas, but the Griffins outscored them 21-9 down the stretch in the opening period to take the lead. Edir Ortiz closed out the first half scoring with a three-pointer at the 1:32 mark, putting Seton Hill ahead 45-37.
 
Their lead reached double-digits early in the second half, and it was a 12-point game at the 11:31 mark of the second after James Rice made a three-pointer to push the advantage to 66-54. The Golden Eagles continued to battle, starting with a Justice Easter three-pointer on the next possession. Peebles drained a trey at the 7:33 mark to make it 72-66, and followed with an old fashioned three-point play a minute later. After threes from Nelson and Peebles made it a one-point game, Dow briefly gave the Golden Eagles a one-point lead with 64 seconds left, making a midrange jumper. Kedrick Curtis responded with a bucket to put the Griffins ahead, and Camden Brewer made it a three-point game with two free throws at the 23-second mark.
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