The Owls dominated the action on their home floor from start to finish to advance to the D9 championship game next Saturday, March 3 against top seeded Punxsutawney at Clarion University.
The Bisons stayed with Bradford for most of the first period. With just 1:18 left in the first eight minutes a basket by Christian Lezzer pulled Clearfield to within two points at 12-10. That would be the last time the Bisons would get that close.
Bradford would end the first period with two quick buckets to go up by six going into the second period, 16-10.
Bison Robbie Myers had six points in the opening period and a game high 22. Myers, a senior playing his last game for Clearfield, was basically the offense for his squad as no other teammate had more than five points on the evening.
The Owls doubled up Clearfield in the second frame, 16-8, to take a 14-point lead into halftime at 32-18.
Clearfield needed to respond at the start of the second half and attempt to scratch itself back into the hunt. However, it was the Owls who turned up the heat to salt the game away as Owl senior Colon Holzwarth hit a three-pointer early in the third period to give his squad a commanding 15-point lead at 37-22.
Bradford would stretch it’s margin to 49-28 at the end of the third period with the only question left to be answered was the final score.
Myers continued to do all he could to help his squad, as he hit for six more tallies in the final eight minutes of action, but other help never showed up, as Clearfield finished the 2011-12 season with an 8-15 record.
Bradford, now 12-11, had four players in double figures with Tyler Wilbur hitting for 13 points followed by Brandon Teribery adding 12, Forrest Works with 11 and Colon Holzwarth chipping in with 10.
Teribery, off of the Owls bench, had three of Bradford’s seven three-pointers on the night.
The Owls were 13 of 22 from the free throw line while Clearfield was 7 of 11.
Clearfield says good-bye to seven seniors in Myers, Beau Swales, Curtis Frye, Craig Bell, Andrew McCracken, Johnnie Gaylor and Ryan Hertlein.
Bradford will be seeking it’s 10th District 9 AAA crown since 1994 when they face Punxsutawney, who received a bye into the championship game.
CLEARFIELD – 38
Christian Lezzer 2 0-0 5, Beau Swales 0 0-0 0, Curtis Frye 1 0-0 2, Shawn Lord 1 1-2 3, Robbie Myers 9 4-5 22, Trey Jordan 1 0-0 2, Seth Beardsley 1 0-0 2, Craig Bell 0 0-0 0, Johnnie Gaylor 0 0-0 0, Jon Janocko 0 2-4 2, Wyatt Weston 0 0-0 0, Andrew McCracken 0 0-0 0, TOTALS – 15 7-11 38.
BRADFORD – 60
Danny Rinfrette 3 3-4 9, Colon Holzwarth 4 0-0 10, Forrest Works 3 4-5 11, Randy Ruffner 1 0-0 2, Tyler Wilbur 4 5-9 13, Mike Wilbur1 0-0 3, Brandon Teribery 4 1-2 12, Ty Riley 0 0-0 0, Anthony Zimbardi 0 0-0 0, Tim Drehmer 0 0-0 0, Tyler Carlson 0 0-2 0, David Ackerman 0 0-0 0, TOTALS – 20 13-22 60.
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
CLEARFIELD 10 8 10 10 38
BRADFORD 16 16 17 11 60
THREE POINTERS: Lezzer, Teribery 3, Holzwarth 2, Works, M. Wilbur
OFFICIALS: Kevin Doverspike, Chris Schneider, Roddy Hartle
Final Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/13 | HUNTINGDON | 46 – 49 ot | 0 – 1 |
| 12/16 | ST. MARYS | 29 – 36 | 0 – 2 |
| 12/20 | CENTRAL | 51 – 40 | 1 – 2 |
| 12/23 | BELLEFONTE | 59 – 44 | 2 – 2 |
| 12/27&28 | @ Lions Club Invitational | ||
| vs. Harmony | 50 – 36 | 3 – 2 | |
| vs. Purchase Line | 41 – 35 | 4 – 2 | |
| 01/03 | @ Tyrone | 38 – 72 | 4 – 3 |
| 01/05 | @ Brookville | 43 – 66 | 4 – 4 |
| 01/10 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 45 – 36 | 5 – 4 |
| 01/13 | PENNS VALLEY | 34 – 47 | 5 – 5 |
| 01/18 | CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 49 – 50 | 5 – 6 |
| 01/20 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 53 – 63 | 5 – 7 |
| 01/23 | DUBOIS | 58 – 66 | 5 – 8 |
| 01/25 | @ Huntingdon | 58 – 51 | 6 – 8 |
| 01/27 | JUNIATA | 65 – 49 | 7 – 8 |
| 01/31 | @ Central | 52 – 61 | 7 – 9 |
| 02/03 | TYRONE | 34 – 68 | 7 – 10 |
| 02/04 | @ Penns Valley | 34 – 47 | 7 – 11 |
| 02/08 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 51 – 31 | 8 – 11 |
| 02/10 | @ Central Mountain | 32 – 49 | 8 – 12 |
| 02/13 | @ St. Marys | 53 – 73 | 8 – 13 |
| 02/15 | @ Punxsutawney | 37 – 49 | 8 – 14 |
| D9 Playoffs | |||
| 02/24 | vs. Bradford | 38 – 60 | 8 – 15 |