HYDE — Who says you can’t go home; the title to a song from Jon Bon Jovi with accompaniment by Jennifer Nettles certainly describes the night for the Clearfield Lady Bison. In a rather unique situation, because of the schedule for both Bison basketball teams, head coach Joey Castagnolo and his team went old school on Wednesday night. Rather than being inside the Bison Gymnasium, a place they have called home since the 2013-2014 season, the contest with the Lady Bison and the visiting Lady Cardinals of DuBois Central Catholic was played just up the hall in the Arthur J. Weiss Gymnasium.
Both squads were ready to go on this night, and a back-and-forth contest ensued, as one side had an advantage, but then it changed hands. In the end, it was critical shooting and success at the foul line that allowed Clearfield to achieve its second-consecutive win, taking down the Lady Cardinals, 53-44.
At the outset of the game, neither squad held a clear advantage, but after one quarter it was Clearfield holding a slight one-point gap, 12-11. When the second quarter came about, that was when the home squad got hot. Thanks to a lot of strategic play by Emma Hipps, who had a monster night on the floor, Clearfield put up another 12 points on the board. Defensively, the Lady Bison held the Lady Cardinals to just a pair of baskets in the frame, taking a 24-15 advantage into the locker room.
But, as the teams emerged to start the second half, it was clear DuBois Central Catholic was on a mission to spoil the homecoming.
A surge in offense for the visitors saw the Lady Cardinals outscore their own total from the first half in just eight minutes, as they would put up 20 points in the frame. Still, Clearfield managed to keep a one-point gap, 36-35, heading into the final eight minutes.
What made the difference in the final quarter was something that Clearfield has been strong at all season long – the free throw line.
Hipps and Riley Ryen each saw the charity stripe two times in the quarter, and each of their shots would go in. Clearfield finished the night 8-for-12 at the line. By comparison, DuBois Central Catholic went to the line six times in the final quarter, but only one shot would make it in the net. By only scoring nine points in the final frame, it was more than enough to ensure Clearfield’s victory as they would nearly double the scoring of the visitors to take their eighth win of the season. The Lady Cardinals only shot 3-for-12 at the line on the night.
As stated above, Hipps had a monster night, accounting for a game-high 29 points courtesy of 10 shots from the floor, including five from deep range, and another four at the line. Ryen would also hit double figures as she finished with 11 points.
DuBois Central Catholic was paced by Kayley Risser, who drained 19 points. Jessy Frank added in another 11, while Faith Jacob accounted for 10 points.
Clearfield (8-8) is nearing the end of their season, but will have to wait a few days to get back on the court. Originally, Clearfield was to host Bellefonte on Thursday evening. However, due to the Bellefonte Area School District already closing ahead of the potential snow that is coming, declaring Thursday a flexible instruction day, that game is now postponed. So, the next time the Lady Bison will be on the court will be on Monday night, as they will be on the road for a rematch against the Lady Cardinals. Tip-off is slated for 7:15 p.m.
SCORE BY QUARTER
D.C. Catholic 11 4 20 9 – 44
Clearfield 12 12 12 17 – 53
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC – 44
Paris Farley 1 0-0 2, Faith Jacob 4 2-8 10, Jessy Frank 5 0-0 11, Kayley Risser 8 1-4 19, Sophia Ginter 0 0-0 0, Rose Whipple 1 0-0 2, JoAnne Case 0 0-0 0, Lauren Davidson 0 0-0 0, Haley Semancik 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 19 3-12 44.
CLEARFIELD – 53
Riley Ryen 4 3-4 13, Cayleigh Walker 1 1-2 3, Emma Hipps 10 4-6 29, Paige Rhine 0 0-0 0, Megan Durandetta 0 0-0 0, Alaina Fedder 1 0-0 2, Lauryn Kitchen 2 0-0 6, Alayna Winters 0 0-0 0, Ally Gaines 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 18 8-12 53.