(All photos by Kevin Albertson)
HYDE — Sometimes being able to control the pace is the way to win the game. Other times it could be taking advantage of opportunities. In some cases, it is about making that last play to take the victory. And then, there’s times where simply being able to out-muscle the opposition pays dividends. In a way, all those came to fruition on Wednesday night as the Clearfield Lady Bison hit the home court to play host to long-time rival Tyrone.
The defense played smart, forcing turnovers that led to points. The offense got some second chances when the first basket would not get in the net. The Lady Bison made every last play they could count, and at certain points got a bit physical but not to the point of causing harm. All that led to a very tough, hard-earned, win over the Lady Golden Eagles, 61-43.
“Those girls played a tough game tonight. Our defense helps create a lot of our offense, and they really showed up tonight,” Lady Bison head coach Missy Helsel said afterwards while addressing Passport Radio’s Pat Pallo.
That defense paid off late, because in the early going the offense was struggling to find itself and was making its own errors. Sloppy passes and ball-handling woes kept the score close in the first quarter, within a possession for a majority of the time. At the end of one quarter, neither team had a true advantage, especially considering the score was tied up at 10-all after eight minutes. It was the second quarter when Clearfield began to find its footing, and led by some smart offensive plays.
Fueled by some strong plays on the boards, and some key passes, the Lady Bison almost doubled-up Tyrone in scoring, taking a 27-19 lead heading into halftime.
The problem for Clearfield was maintaining that advantage, especially since the play for the ball began to get a bit physical, yet not aggressive. Over 20 jump balls came on the night, with many happening late in the second quarter and the beginning of the third. The battle for the ball resulted in Tyrone taking a nine-point gap down to just a single possession, and suddenly the Lady Bison were in the midst of a battle of attrition.
No one stepped up more in the third when it mattered most than Hannah Glunt, who when the team needed a spark, found her spot at the post, draining a pair of threes to put Clearfield up for good.
“Big threes. She handles the ball real nice for us, plays with patience, and is just getting more decisive every game. I expect a lot out of her, and from our first five,” Helsel said.
She expected a lot out of her starting five on this night, namely because for the entire 32 minutes, the only breaks the starters got were on free throws, change of possession, time outs and change of quarter. The starters for Clearfield played the entire game, but the cohesive work they managed to put in proved why they have improved over the last several games. In the third, thanks to some key rebounds and forced turnovers, Clearfield increased the lead, 48-37, heading into the final stanza.
Sophomore Mia Helsel had one of her best games of the season, as she put up 15 points plus captured five steals. But, no one had a better night on the court than star freshman Sonny Diehl. Her play in the paint allowed her to finish with a game-high 21 points, plus land yet another double-double in her young career as she redeemed 11 boards. She too had five steals. Cayleigh Walker added in 14 points, while leading the team with seven assists.
The fourth quarter saw the Lady Eagles still play hard, but also began running out of steam. With just over half the quarter left, most of the starters were pulled in favor of some of the younger talent, as they were limited to just six points in the last eight minutes Bree Paul led Tyrone with 13 points, while the team excelled at the foul line, shooting 8-for-9 on the night.
Clearfield did drop the junior varsity contest, 56-37, to start the evening.
The only ugly thing that Helsel saw on this night, aside from the multitude of ugly Christmas sweaters throughout the crowd, was her team not being able to put points on the board when there were easy shots. Multiple opportunities near the basket, including some breakaways courtesy of turnovers, were not converted into points. Helsel admitted that her team still needed some work, and only have one more practice in order to do so, considering they are back on the court for the final time in the 2023 calendar year on Friday night.
“We have some preparation that we need to do, but we will be ready to play,” she said, with confidence.
That final game for the 2023 year will be on the road when the Lady Bison travel to Hollidaysburg.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Tyrone 10 9 18 6 – 43
Clearfield 10 17 21 13 – 61
Tyrone – 43
Riley Corl 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Houck 0 0-0 0, Bree Paul 4 2-2 13, Alayna Greene 3 2-2 8, Laney Woomer 3 1-2 7, Rylan Crowell 3 1-1 7, Grace Naylor 0 0-0 0, Kayelin Gibbons 1 0-0 2, Brielle Parker 1 0-0 2, Claire Lehman 1 2-2 4, Elise Volders 0 0-0 0, Amariah Sprankle 0 0-0 0, Lenelle Eades 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 16 8-9 43.
Clearfield – 61
Sonny Diehl 9 3-5 21, Hannah Glunt 2 0-0 6, Alayna Winters 2 1-1 5, Cayleigh Walker 6 2-4 14, Mia Helsel 4 6-11 15. TOTALS 23 12-21 61.
GAME STATISTICS
Tyrone/Clearfield
- Shooting: 16-52/23-68
- Rebounds: 25/35
- Fouls: 15/14
- Turnovers: 32/18
- Three-Point Shots: Paul-3/Glunt-2, Helsel
