CLARION, Pa. — The Golden Eagles (7-7, 2-4 PSAC) faced a tough battle on Saturday at Tippin Gym, falling to Shippensburg (6-6, 1-4 PSAC) with a final score of 90-86. The Raiders held off a final push from the Golden Eagles, with Clarion coming up just shy on two shots on their final possession that would have given them the lead.
Things were tight in the final 30 seconds, with
Trey Nelson pulling the Golden Eagles to within 87-86 on a free throw with 28 seconds to go. Denzel Figueroa made one of two free throws with 22 seconds left to extend the lead to two points, while
Michael Moore pulled down a defensive board and passed ahead to Nelson, who called timeout past halfcourt. Out of the break
Gavin Cote just nearly missed on a three-point attempt from the left wing, but Moore was there to recover the rebound and kicked out to
Justice Easter. Easter's trey attempt was off the mark, and Jaydon Smith drew a foul on the rebound attempt to seal the game.
Jeremy Thomas II led the charge with 23 points, hitting 9 of 14 shots and grabbing eight boards. Easter added 16 points, connecting on 5 of 8 attempts and snagging two rebounds. Nelson chipped in 13 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, and handed out five assists.
Aydan Cunningham anchored the defense with three blocks, adding five points and three rebounds.
The Golden Eagles started strong, matching Shippensburg's early intensity with a balanced attack.
Justice Easter's three-point play at 18:59 tied it up, highlighting the team's grit. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with Cote knocking down a crucial 3-pointer at 15:44 to keep things tight.
Clarion's defense was tenacious, with Thomas snagging key rebounds and
Aydan Cunningham swatting shots to stifle the Raiders' fast breaks. The bench stepped up, adding 14 points to keep the pace with Shippensburg.
In the waning seconds of the half, Thomas's layup with six seconds left gave Clarion a fleeting lead, but a last-second four-point play by Shippensburg's Timmy Conner nudged them ahead, sending the Golden Eagles into the break trailing 47-45.
The second half saw Clarion come out swinging, as Cote drained another 3-pointer to briefly reclaim the lead. Yet, Shippensburg answered with a series of 3-pointers, opening up an eight-point gap. The Golden Eagles pushed back with free throws and a powerful dunk by Thomas, slicing the deficit.
Even as the Raiders kept scoring, Clarion clawed back with clutch rebounds and sharp free-throw shooting, knotting the game at 82 with just two minutes to go. But as the clock ticked down, Shippensburg edged ahead, and despite Clarion's late-game hustle, they fell short.
