HYDE – The Clearfield Bison boys basketball team spent three quarters Monday night keeping ahead of visiting Brookville, mostly with good team defense, before the Raiders exploded for 20 fourth quarter tallies to beat Clearfield 47-34.
A smothering Bison defense, which forced many Brookville turnovers, had Clearfield out in front after the first period, 6-3 and at the break 17-13.
The Raiders had the lead only one time in the first half, 4-3, with just under three minutes to play in the first frame.
Clearfield took its biggest margin of the contest with four minutes remaining in the first half, 14-8, on a bucket by junior Erik Sellers.
Holding Brookville to just 13 first half points had the Bison in good position to put the game away in the second 16 minutes. But then things started to change, as the Raiders found their offense in the final two periods, scoring a total of 34 points, doubling up on Clearfield’s 17.
In the third eight minutes the two teams took turns going out in front as the lead changed hands four times, with Clearfield having a one point edge, 28-27, going into the final quarter.
Nate Shirts gave Brookville the lead, 29-28, with a bucket just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter . It was a lead the Raiders would not relinquish the rest of the night.
Clearfield freshman Will Myers got the Bison as close as two, 31-29, with a basket with 6:25 left on the scoreboard.
A 9-1 run by Brookville at the end of the game was all the Raiders needed to pick up win number six against 12 losses on the year.
Brookville made good on 7 of 11 free throws in the fourth and overall was 11 of 19. Clearfield saw the line just eight times, making four.
The Bison offense was charged up by Erik Sellers, who had 14 points. Sellers had six in the second frame.
Brookville had two players in double figures, as Nate Shirts led all scorers with 16 while Taite Truman added 10.
The junior varsity game was won by the Bison, 42-11. High scoring honors for Clearfield went to Caleb Strouse, who scored nine points.
Clearfield, now at 5-13 on the season, plays again Wednesday night, at Tyrone. Tip-off for JV action is set for 6 pm with the varsity game starting immediately after.
Tyrone beat the Bison in the first meeting of the two schools on January 9, at Clearfield, 62-40.
BROOKVILLE – 47
Nate Shirts 6 4-7 16, Tate Canavan 1 3-5 5, Shawn Blochberger 0 0-0 0, Taite Truman 3 2-3 10, Jack Huggins 3 0-0 8, Braiden Smith 0 0-0 0, Zach Byerly 0 0-0 0, Ben Cudworth 3 2-4 8, TOTALS – 16 11-19 47.
CLEARFIELD – 34
Seth Ford 0 0-0 0, Eric Sellers 6 1-2 14, Wyatt Westen 2 0-0 4, Jon Janocko 0 1-2 1, Will Myers 3 1-2 7, Cody Spaid 2 1-2 5, Andy Brown 0 0-0 0, Derek Hryn 1 0-0 3, TOTALS – 14 4-8 34.
THREE-POINTERS: Sellers, Hryn, Truman 2, Huggins 2
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
BROOKVILLE 3 10 14 20 47
CLEARFIELD 6 11 11 6 34
OFFICIALS: Barry Abbott, Chuck Pasternak, Scott Sullivan
Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/09 | CURWENSVILLE | 38 – 56 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/10 | @ Central | 32 – 55 | 0 – 2 |
| 12/13 | @ Huntingdon | 41 – 65 | 0 – 3 |
| 12/18 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 57 – 89 | 0 – 4 |
| 12/20 | @ Bellefonte | 52 – 51 | 1 – 4 |
| @ PL Lions Club Tourney | |||
| 12/27 | vs. Bald Eagle Area | 41 – 68 | 1 – 5 |
| 12/28 | vs. Harmony | 51 – 32 | 2 – 5 |
| 01/03 | @ Punxsutawney | 38 – 70 | 2 – 6 |
| 01/06 | TYRONE | ppd. | 2 – 6 |
| 01/07 | @ Brookville | ppd. | 2 – 6 |
| 01/09 | TYRONE | 40 – 62 | 2 – 7 |
| 01/10 | @ Penns Valley | 39 – 68 | 2 – 8 |
| 01/14 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 71 – 56 | 3 – 8 |
| 01/17 | ST. MARYS | 41 – 51 | 3 – 9 |
| 01/20 | DUBOIS | 49 – 65 | 3 – 10 |
| 01/22 | CENTRAL | 44 – 41 | 4 – 10 |
| 01/24 | HUNTINGDON | 49 – 61 | 4 – 11 |
| 01/28 | @ Brookville | ppd. | 4 – 11 |
| 01/29 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 53 – 73 | 4 – 12 |
| 01/31 | BELLEFONTE | 58 – 39 | 5 -12 |
| 02/03 | @ Brookville | 34 – 47 | 5 – 13 |
| 02/05 | @ Tyrone | ||
| 02/07 | PENNS VALLEY | ||
| 02/12 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | ||
| 02/14 | @ Curwensville |