HYDE — Coming into Tuesday night, Clearfield had a strong feeling that the struggles at the end of January were at their end. Monday’s victory over Punxsutawney was exactly what the Bison cagers needed heading into the final push of the year. With three of their final four games in the Mountain League, Clearfield still had a chance to be victorious for an eighth-consecutive year. Tuesday’s game against the Penns Valley Rams already had the hype of a big-game feel, especially with the first showdown between these two going into overtime.
With eight seniors being honored prior to tip-off, emotions were already high, and the play on the court matched that feeling. But, the Bison used a strong second half to come from behind to take a tough 42-39 win, splitting the series with the Rams, and guaranteeing another winning record for the season.
Things did not exactly have the start Clearfield had hoped. One day prior, the Bison had pushed their way to a 9-0 lead that they would never relinquish. But, Penns Valley has proven over the years that whatever Clearfield can do, they can match. After one quarter, the Rams held a slim 11-7 advantage. That first quarter was dominated by the play of the Rams’ Zach Braucht, who put up eight of his game-high 21 points in the frame.
However, Clearfield began slowly trying to claw back in the second quarter. After having early-game struggles, Cole Miller finally started finding his spots, putting up 10 of the team’s 13 points in the second. Penns Valley still managed to outscore the Bison, 14-13, taking a five-point lead into the locker room.
The strong momentum in the second quarter fed right into the second half, as the Bison defense came up big when it mattered most.
Clearfield held the visitors to just six points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Clearfield put up a 10-point effort to head into the final eight minutes just down by one, 31-30.
That final quarter is when Miller once again got in his groove, putting up another six of his team-high 19 points in the quarter. But, a pair of threes from Isakk Way and Andon Greslick also found the net. Defensively, the Bison would keep the Rams in check, getting the loose rebounds and forcing difficult shots. Way would finish with six boards on the night.
It was a stark different finish to the night compared to the first meeting between the two, as Clearfield faltered in that contest, falling to the Rams in overtime. Now, sitting at 12-7, the Bison have three remaining games in the regular season, two of them being Mountain League contests.
The first of those games will come on Friday night when the Bison make the trip to Huntingdon for their second showdown with the Bearcats. Back on January 10, it was Clearfield that took a dominating victory over Huntingdon, 78-51.
Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. for the junior varsity, with the varsity contest coming afterwards.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Penns Valley 11 14 6 8 – 39
Clearfield 7 13 10 12 – 42
Penns Valley – 39
Maclain Welshans 1 0-0 2, Jackson Romig 3 1-1 7, Aidan Culver 0 0-0 0, Kyle Niewinski 0 1-2 1, Logan Crater 0 2-4 2, Colin Niewinski 1 2-4 3, Zach Braucht 7 4-6 21. TOTALS 12 10-16 39.
Clearfield – 42
Ryan Gearhart 4 1-2 10, Cole Miller 7 2-3 19, Isakk Way 2 0-0 5, Andon Greslick 2 0-0 6, Nick Collins 0 0-0 0, Luke Pallo 1 0-0 2, Nate Natoli 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 16 3-5 42.