HYDE– Coming off the tough loss against DuBois Central Catholic last week, the Clearfield Lady Bison were needing some kind of relief, and wanted to find the winning formula to get back on track. To do that, they would face a familiar foe, the Lady Dragons from Central, who handed Clearfield their first loss on the year back on December 6, 57-43. For a while, it looked as though the loss from earlier in the year would have a repeat, and the fans inside the Bison Gymnasium could sense it.
That was until Clearfield found itself fueled by strong shooting, and a star freshman igniting a night unlike any on the season. That kind of performance led Clearfield to a 65-54 triumph that ensured a winning regular season.
“That was a good one. We had a much better second half. We went into the locker room, and had a discussion. It made a difference, and shows with how they came out on defense in the third quarter, which fueled our offense,” Lady Bison head coach Missy Helsel said afterwards.
Neither team came out of the gate with any momentum. It was a game of just trying to figure out both the offense, and defense, as a combined 14 points were scored in the first quarter. Clearfield led the game for the entire eight minutes, taking a 9-5 lead into the second quarter. The girls would push out to a 13-7 lead at one point, but at the same time it was not looking like a typical Lady Bison game. Helsel mentioned how the squad felt a bit off in their performance, as if it was almost a foreshadowing.
“We came out a bit sluggish, coming off an odd set of practices. Some of the girls aren’t feeling well, yet still were coming in and putting forth an effort,” she said.
Central began coming back in the second quarter, eventually taking the lead for the first time with just over two minutes remaining as a balanced scoring run allowed the Lady Dragons to win the quarter, taking a slim 26-23 lead into halftime.
Clearfield still looked a bit sluggish in the start of the third quarter, despite a solid outing in the first 16 minutes. However, the hot start by the team’s first-year standout starter only got better as the second half rolled on. In the first two quarters, Sonny Diehl already showed up against the Lady Dragons, achieving a double-double effort long before the halftime buzzer. It only got better as she again began to find her footing both in the paint, and under the basket. Diehl would gain another five rebounds in the third quarter, plus eight points. Her play in the paint put Clearfield back out front, and it also led to the most spectacular play of the entire game.
The final Lady Bison possession of the third would run down into the final seconds. Diehl was trying to penetrate into the basket, but Central blocked the attempt so all she could do was feed a quick pass to Hannah Glunt, who took a heave from three feet behind the arc. In the midst of it, the buzzer would not only go off, but Glunt would get fouled.
At the same time, The shot would hit the rim, and go in the net. Glunt was walking off when officials stopped to let her know she still had a free throw to shoot. Glunt would make the shot, part of a 26-point quarter to put Clearfield up 49-36 heading into the final quarter.
Along with Diehl’s play, the Clearfield defense began to turn things up in the third quarter, limiting Central to just 4-for-20 from the floor, forcing nine turnovers in the process.
“We talk a lot about defense and how we commit to it, not just individually, but as a group,” Helsel said. “If you don’t have five committed on defense, it does not work on nights like tonight. We got that figured out, and we definitely have turned that around.”
Diehl’s big game would not end, as she would play just as hard in the final quarter to put on a performance that was unlike any she had on the season. Diehl’s night finished with a game-high 27 points, one of three Lady Bison in double figures. She finished with a career-high double-double effort as she also pulled in 20 rebounds, along with six assists, four steals and a pair of blocks. Mia Helsel would complement her teammate well, putting up 16 points, plus six rebounds and a team-high four steals. Cayleigh Walker also hit double figures with a 10-point effort.
Despite being down, Central continued to push a fast pace, trying to climb back into it. The Lady Dragons kept Clearfield honest, outscoring them in the final quarter, 18-16. However, trying to overcome the gap created in the third quarter was too much. Another Diehl, as in Central’s Megan Diehl, finished with 13 points, along with eight rebounds. Adyson Poet would also hit double figures with 11 points.
Clearfield’s run at home came to an end, winning three of the four games inside the Bison Gym. Now, Clearfield (11-6) will head on the road to close out the week. It is a bookend schedule as the Lady Bison will travel to Richland on Friday night. It is another unique opportunity as Clearfield will once again be the opening contest in a double-header evening, with tip-off coming at 6 p.m.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Central 5 21 10 18 – 54
Clearfield 9 14 26 16 – 65
Central – 54
Adyson Poet 4 2-4 11, Dessa Boyles 1 0-0 2, Megan Diehl 6 0-0 13, Marah Dickson 0 1-4 1, Madeline Benton 2 3-5 8, Mackenzie Rhykerd 2 0-0 4, Morgan Knepp 4 0-0 8, Braylyn Ellis 3 1-1 7. TOTALS 22 7-14 54.
Clearfield – 65
Sonny Diehl 11 5-9 27, Hannah Glunt 2 4-5 9, Alayna Winters 1 1-2 3, Cayleigh Walker 4 2-3 10, Mia Helsel 6 3-6 16, Myleigh Hudson 0 0-0 0, Elia Evilsizor 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 24 15-25 65.
GAME STATISTICS
Central/Clearfield
- Shooting: 22-67/24-69
- Rebounds: 30/44
- Fouls: 19/20
- Turnovers: 23/25
- Three-Point Shots: Poet, M. Diehl, Benton/Glunt, Helsel
- Foul Out: Ellis
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/01 @ Brookville Tip-Off Tourney vs. North Clarion 49 – 37 1 – 0
12/02 @ Brookville Tip-Off Tourney vs. Brookville 50 – 23 2 – 0
12/06 @ Central 43 – 57 2 – 1
12/08 GREATER JOHNSTOWN 43 – 60 2 – 2
12/13 BELLEFONTE 72 – 50 3 – 2
12/15 @ Bishop Guilfoyle 38 – 46 3 – 3
12/20 TYRONE 61 – 43 4 – 3
12/22 @ Hollidaysburg 29 – 64 4 – 4
01/03 HUNTINGDON 54 – 45 5 – 4
01/05 @ Westmont Hilltop 34 – 54 5 – 5
01/10 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 71 – 42 6 – 5
01/12 BELLWOOD-ANTIS 51 – 46 7 – 5
01/15 @ Penns Valley 64 – 58 8 – 5
01/18 BEDFORD 62 – 56 9 – 5
01/22 BALD EAGLE AREA 62 – 41 10 – 5
01/24 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 48 – 55 10 – 6
01/29 CENTRAL 65 – 54 11 – 6Â
02/02 @ Richland
02/05 @ Bellefonte
02/08 BISHOP GUILFOYLE
02/12 @ Tyrone
02/14 @ Curwensville