INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP men's basketball team led at the half and had a chance to tie the game late, coming up just short in a 62-59 setback to Clarion on Saturday afternoon in the regular season finale.
IUP (16-12, 13-9) will face a short turnaround with the playoffs looming on Monday, entering the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament as the four seed in the western division. The Crimson Hawks will face Mercyhurst, the five seed, on Monday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m.
The Hawks held a two-point lead at the half, shooting 38.5% for the game. IUP pushed its margin up to six points in the second half around seven minutes in. Clarion (8-20, 6-16) battled back for the victory in the team's season finale.
Garvin Clarke's stepback triple did not go late as
Bryce Radford scrambled in for the offensive board. Time ticked away after the offensive board as Clarion snapped a 25-game losing streak to the Crimson Hawks.
Ethan Porterfield and
Garvin Clarke posted 19 points each in leading the Crimson Hawks on Senior Day. Clarke added seven rebounds and seven assists, playing all 40 minutes. Radford posted eight points for the Hawks, who went to the line six times in the game.
Clarion got 13 points Jayson Harris, one of three in double figures. Steve Kelly added 12 points and Jeremy Thomas II finished with 11. Connor Spratt's layin with 9:26 remaining put Clarion ahead for good despite IUP trimming the deficit back down to one (60-59) with 1:41 remaining.
IUP led for just under four minutes in the first half, playing catch up most of the frame. The Crimson Hawks limited Clarion to one made field goal over the last 7:29, using a 14-6 scoring spurt while moving in front.
Clarke posted a game-high 10 points in the first half, while
Josh Petteno added eight points and five rebounds. Clarion converted just one time from beyond the arc in the first half and both sides took care of the ball in a deliberate pace.
The Hawks erased an 11-point deficit in the first half and used a key stretch from Petteno to get back in front. Clarion tied the game up at 46 at the 11:27 mark before regaining control of the contest.
Up Next
IUP gears up for the playoffs, hosting Mercyhurst in the PSAC First Round on Monday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPathletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
