CLARION, Pa. — In a thrilling showdown at Tippin Gymnasium, the Clarion Golden Eagles (11-6, 6-5 PSAC) defeated the seventh-ranked team in the nation, topping IUP (16-1, 9-1 PSAC) in a heart-stopping 78-77 victory on Saturday. The victory was sealed with a roaring 26-point fourth quarter, with
Zoe Guice and Zoé Bayer playing crucial roles down the stretch.
The win over IUP was Clarion's first since January 21, 2017 and snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Hawks.
Bayer exploded in the second half, scoring all 16 of her points in the final 20 minutes of action. The junior went 7-of-8 from the field, keeping Clarion tight with the Crimson Hawks throughout the fourth quarter. With 4:29 left in regulation, Bayer scored through a foul by Belle Bosch and completed a three-point play to put the Golden Eagles ahead 67-65. She made a layup with 2:37 left to go to cut IUP's lead to 71-70, and then logged a fast break make on the next trip down the floor to keep it a one-point game.
The product of France had one more big bucket up her sleeve. With Clarion trailing 73-72 and under a minute to go, she took a feed from Guice and scored from 12 feet out to put Clarion ahead 74-73.
Not to be outdone, Guice made perhaps the biggest play of the game on the ensuing defensive possession. She stole the inbounds pass and rushed the length of the floor, laying it in to give Clarion a 76-73 lead with 35.3 seconds left. Guice sank two free throws down the stretch and the Clarion defense stood tall, limiting the Crimson Hawks to a layup make with under a second remaining to secure the win.
Guice's final stat line including 13 points and six assists, while
Arianna Seitz led the scoring with 18 points, hitting four from downtown and grabbing eight boards.
Kendall Berger contributed 12 points and snagged four steals, including on two possessions in the final 1:13 to douse Crimson Hawk possessions.
The game tipped off with IUP taking the early momentum, but the Golden Eagles quickly countered. Guice tied it up at 2-2 with a layup, and
Alyssa Terza's three-pointer at 8:20 put Clarion ahead 5-2. Despite this quick start, IUP capitalized on turnovers to regain the lead. Terza's three-pointer at 3:18 briefly gave Clarion a 16-15 edge, but the Crimson Hawks closed the first quarter strong, pulling ahead 26-21.
The second quarter saw the Golden Eagles finding their rhythm, sparked by Berger's three-pointer at 9:27 off a Guice assist. Seitz's three at 8:18 brought them even closer. Berger's fast-break layup at 4:57 further cut the deficit to one. As the Crimson Hawks got into foul trouble, Guice's clutch free throws tied the game at 36 with just over a minute left, thanks to a stalwart defensive effort by Logue and Berger. The half ended in a deadlock.
In the third quarter, Clarion's defense and quick transitions kept the pressure on. Guice's layup at 7:05, following a crucial block, sparked a key run. Seitz's pivotal three-pointer at 7:36 and Logue's decisive 3-pointer at 1:55 helped Clarion edge ahead, finishing the quarter tied at 50.
