PHILIPSBURG — The season is drawing to a close for the basketball campaign across the area. Teams know that the playoffs are imminent, but also want to finish the latter stretch of the season on a positive note. The Lady Bison of Clearfield had to re-focus following Friday night’s loss to Penns Valley, hoping to finish out the last week of the season on a positive note.
In order to do so, they had to finish the season on the road, starting with a quick ride down Rt. 322 to face the Lady Mounties of Philipsburg-Osceola. It was January 13, Friday the 13th no less, when these two teams faced the first time, with P-O nearly pulling off a come-from-behind victory but fell one basket short.
Now it was the return game, this time at the P-O High School.
On this night, one player took the headlines. Mountie sophomore Haylee Herrington, who finished the first game against Clearfield with 38 points, started out a little slow to start the night, only going 2-for-6 from the floor. But, then it was a takeover.
Herrington ended the first quarter with just seven points. However, once the second quarter began, the young sophomore turned into a buzz saw, picking away at the Lady Bison defense. Whether it was on the perimeter, in the paint, from the charity stripe, or penetrating towards the basket, she was not being denied. In what some saw as one of her best games of the season, her night ended with a game-high 45 points, as she and her teammates, as described by Clearfield head coach Joey Castagnolo, “buzz sawed” through the Lady Bison defense to secure the 73-57 victory.
Castagnolo knew going into the game, his team had to defend her because of her ability to shoot from anywhere, but also made it clear it wasn’t just her doing the work.
“We talked about it at halftime. Really talked about it for days. But her supporting cast did well,” he said. “I didn’t have an answer. We shouldn’t have been in that position, with that team, but hey, they played really well.”
Herrington’s teammates kept providing the boost needed to keep her momentum going all night. Loryn Hughes added in 10 points plus nine rebounds and five assists on the night, while Kyleigh Kennedy accounted for nine points, plus 10 rebounds.
Despite Herrington’s big night, Clearfield played hard, especially considering the physical play of both teams on the night.
Alayna Ryan, despite having four fouls late in the fourth quarter, kept playing quick, scoring four steals alongside 17 points. But, her effort wasn’t the best one of the team, as Ally Lindstrom had a career night, even in a losing effort. The senior forward finished with a team-high, and career-high, 24 points, plus added in another seven rebounds and two steals.
Upon hearing how many points Lindstrom scored, Castagnolo was taken back, but just as quickly showed appreciation.
“I didn’t know that. She played smart with those four fouls on her,” he said.
Nikki Chew led the Lady Bison with 10 rebounds, and Clearfield, despite turning the ball over more, won in rebounds, 39-31. However, the rebounds did not lead to points as Clearfield shot just 25-for-74 from the floor, while P-O went 30-for-72.
Clearfield opened the night in dramatic fashion, as they came back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to score the win in the junior varsity game in a close 26-24 contest.
With one game remaining in the season, Clearfield (11-10) has a chance to finish the regular season above the .500-mark for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. That game will come Wednesday night as the Lady Bison will make a short drive down Rt. 879 to face Curwensville. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. for the junior varsity game inside Patton Hall, with varsity to follow.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Clearfield 12 10 14 21 – 57
Philipsburg-Osceola 17 19 20 17 – 73
Clearfield – 57
Brossard 3 0-0 6, Chew 1 0-0 2, Cline 2 0-0 4, Ryan 7 3-4 17, Lindstrom 10 2-4 24, Gisewhite 0 0-0 0, Serena 0 0-0 0, Clark 0 0-0 0, Alt 0 0-0 0, Twig 0 0-0 0, MIller 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 25 5-10 57.
Philipsburg-Osceola – 73
Herrington 18 5-6 45, C. Hughes 1 0-0 2, Lucas 3 0-0 7, Kennedy 4 1-2 9, L. Hughes 4 2-3 10, Winters 0 0-0 0, Bordas 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 30 8-11 73.
GAME STATISTICS
Clearfield/P-O
Shooting: 25-74/30-72
Fouls: 12/10
Rebounds: 39/31
Turnovers: 18/17
Three-Point Baskets: Lindstrom (2)/Herrington (4), Lucas
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/09&10 | @ Brookville Tip-off Tourney | ||
| 12/09 | vs. Clarion-Limestone | 64 – 22 | 1 – 0 |
| 12/10 | vs. North Clarion | 39 – 51 | 1 – 1 |
| 12/14 | @ Central | 24 – 64 | 1 – 2 |
| 12/16 | HUNTINGDON | 43 – 35 | 2 – 2 |
| 12/19 | BELLEFONTE | 52 – 55 | 2 – 3 |
| 12/21 | @ Tyrone | 47 – 65 | 2 – 4 |
| 12/23 | DUBOIS | 52 – 45 | 3 – 4 |
| 12/28 | CURWENSVILLE | 52 – 51 | 4 – 4 |
| 01/03 | @ Punxsutawney | 33 – 50 | 4 – 5 |
| 01/06 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 46 – 27 | 5 – 5 |
| 01/09 | BROOKVILLE | 45 – 25 | 6 – 5 |
| 01/10 | @ Penns Valley | ppd. | 6 – 5 |
| 01/13 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 58 – 55 | 7 – 5 |
| 01/16 | ST. MARYS | 34 – 27 | 8 – 5 |
| 01/18 | CENTRAL | 23 – 36 | 8 – 6 |
| 01/20 | @ Huntingdon | 55 – 52 | 9 – 6 |
| 01/23 | @ Bellefonte | 39 – 34 | 10 – 6 |
| 01/25 | @ Penns Valley | 38 – 53 | 10 – 7 |
| 01/27 | TYRONE | 48 – 71 | 10 – 8 |
| 02/01 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 49 – 42 | 11 – 8 |
| 02/03 | PENNS VALLEY | 31 – 42 | 11 – 9 |
| 02/07 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 57 – 73 | 11 – 10 |
| 02/08 | @ Curwensville |