HYDE – When two teams are of equal talent and quality you would expect them to split a two-game season series.
That’s exactly what went down on Tuesday night as the Philipsburg-Osceola girls basketball team beat the Clearfield Lady Bison on the Bison home floor, in a game that went down to wire, 63-60.
On January 16 the Lady Bison won over the Lady Mounties in Philipsburg, 56-54.
This version of Bison-Mountie girls basketball started with both squads exchanging leads throughout the entire first quarter, with Clearfield finally coming out on top after one, 17-16.
It was Lady Bison Breanna Peters who stole the show in the first eight minutes, scoring 13, and had the last 11 tallies of the opening act for Clearfield on a night when she hit for a game high 28.
Not to be outdone, Briana Rusnak of Philipsburg-Osceola had eight first quarter points and 23 on the evening to lead the Lady Mountie offense, along with the same total, 23, from sophomore teammate Abby Showers.
Clearfield stretched the lead to seven at the intermission, 34-27, as Peters and Dakota Farmery scored 15 of the 17 points the Bison would add to its first half total. Farmery had eight second quarter points and Peters added another seven to give her 20 after 16 minutes were recorded.
However, just like the first game these two squads played, the Lady Mounties stepped up their effort in the second half.
Philipsburg-Osceola shaved three points off of the Lady Bison lead after three periods, trailing only 48-44 going into the final eight minutes – thanks to eight more points by Rusnak.
Clearfield sophomore Maggie Sopic kept her team in front with an eight point effort of her own in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the game tied five times before Lady Mountie Alyssa Myers hit a three-pointer with 2:00 left to put Philipsburg-Osceola in front for good at 61-58.
A bucket by Peters with 1:40 left drew the Lady Bison to within one at 61-60. Unfortunately for Clearfield it would not add anymore points as the loss has the Lady Bison at 5-16 on the year.
Showers finished the scoring for the evening with a bucket at the 1:02 mark and a three point Mountie lead at 63-60, which became the final.
Philipsburg won for the 10th time this year against 11 loses.
The Lady Mounties had six three-pointers on the night while Clearfield had none.
Farmery helped Peters with 18 points and Sopic chipped in with 10 for the Lady Bison.
Philipsburg-Osceola was 13 of 19 from the charity stripe and Clearfield 6 of 9.
Lady Bison coach Joe Castagnolo afterwards said, “This is a real tough one to lose because I really felt our kids gave it their all tonight. I thought we played with a lot of emotion and just wish we could have won this one for the seniors. We just came up short, and one area was three-pointers. They hit six and we didn’t have any.”
It was also Senior Night for the Lady Bison, as Peters, Farmery and Brittany Renaud were honored before the game, on what would be their last battle on the Bison home court.
Rusnak, the lone Mountie senior, was also given the courtesy of being honored by the Lady Bison.
In the junior varsity game Clearfield prevailed 33-27 over Philipsburg -Osceola, as Emily Ryan had nine and Mary Ishman eight for the Lady Bison, while Kate Meersand scored eight for the Lady Mounties. The Clearfield junior varsity squad is 7-11 on the year.
The Lady Bison have one more game remaining as they travel to Curwensville on Thursday to skirmish with the Lady Tide, with JV action starting at 6 pm and the varsity to immediately follow.
The Lady Bison won the first game earlier this season, 60-52, over the Lady Tide, in a game that was played at Clearfield.
Listen to Clearfield-Curwensville girls basketball Thursday night on WOKW-FM, 102.9, with the pre-game show beginning at 7:15 pm.
See photos of the game and Senior Night 2013 here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsbball021213.html
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 63
Alyssa Myers 4 0-0 9, Haley Hayward 3 0-0 8, McKenzie Burge 0 0-0 0, Abby Showers 8 4-6 23, Briana Rusnak 7 9-13 23, Kate Meersand 0 0-0 0, Kylie Whitehead 0 0-0 0, TOTALS – 22 13-19 63.
CLEARFIELD — 60
Brittany Renaud 0 0-0 0, Dakota Farmery 8 2-3 18, Emily Aveni 1 0-0 2, Maggie Sopic 5 0-1 10, Breanna Peters 12 4-5 28, Tess Munshower 1 0-0 2, Devynn Ireland 0 0-0 0, Mary Ishman 0 0-0 0, Sarah Aycock 0 0-0 0, Victoria Ireland 0 0-0 0, TOTALS – 27 6-9 60.
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 16 11 17 19 63
CLEARFIELD 17 17 14 12 60
THREE-POINTERS: PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA – 6 Rusnak 3, Hayward 2, Myers CLEARFIELD – None
OFFICIALS: Ken Knepp, Bud Brennen, George Schneider
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| @ Brookville Tip-Off Tourney | |||
| 12/07 | Clarion-Limestone | 36-54 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/08 | North Clarion | 41 – 36 | 1 – 1 |
| 12/12 | CENTRAL | 25 – 57 | 1 – 2 |
| 12/14 | @ Huntingdon | 34 – 51 | 1 – 3 |
| 12/17 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 29 – 39 | 1 – 4 |
| 12/19 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 38 – 67 | 1 – 5 |
| 12/21 | BELLEFONTE | 44 – 39 | 2 – 5 |
| 12/27 | CURWENSVILLE | 60 – 52 | 3 – 5 |
| 01/04 | @ Punxsutawney | 30 – 46 | 3 – 6 |
| 01/09 | @ Tyrone | 49 – 60 | 3 – 7 |
| 01/11 | PENNS VALLEY | 49 – 39 | 4 – 7 |
| 01/14 | @ Central Mountain | 41 – 45 | 4 – 8 |
| 01/16 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 56 – 54 | 5 – 8 |
| 01/18 | ST. MARYS | 31 – 59 | 5 – 9 |
| 01/23 | @ Central | 30 – 45 | 5 – 10 |
| 01/25 | HUNTINGDON | ppd. | 5 – 10 |
| 01/28 | HUNTINGDON | ppd. | 5 – 10 |
| 01/29 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 25 – 54 | 5 – 11 |
| 01/31 | HUNTINGDON | 38 – 47 | 5 – 12 |
| 02/01 | @ Bellefonte | 27 – 42 | 5 – 13 |
| 02/06 | TYRONE | 39 – 59 | 5 – 14 |
| 02/08 | @ Penns Valley | ppd. | 5 – 14 |
| 02/11 | @ Penns Valley | 37 – 47 | 5 – 15 |
| 02/12 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 60 – 63 | 5 – 16 |
| 02/14 | @ Curwensville |