DUBOIS — Being in an unfamiliar position sometimes is a motivating factor for any team. Look at how having to go on the road for the first time for the playoffs ended up for the Kansas City Chiefs; adversity sometimes defines how gritty a team can be. That’s the same feeling that the Clearfield Bison basketball squad was feeling entering Friday night’s contest in the District IX playoffs. Instead of being at the top of the bracket, they were seeded last, and had to fight their way up. To do that, they would start their climb against the Punxsutawney Chucks.
This night was defined by one key factor: dominance. Clearfield came out ready, as did the Chucks. However, the Bison would struggle to find the basket. When opportunities rose, the shot wouldn’t fall. The shots that missed, they resulted in missed rebounds, leading to frustration. At the end of 32 minutes, the streak of District IX championships for the Bison came to a halt, as Punxsutawney handed Clearfield a 70-44 loss that left a very sour taste for the team.
Neither squad had a strong start to the evening, both struggling to penetrate into the paint and having to settle for the outside shot. That ultimately would be a common theme as both squads were hitting three’s to start the night, as nine of Clearfield’s 10 points in the opening stanza came from long range. But, the Chucks were able to get close to the basket, holding a slight 13-10 lead after one.
Clearfield’s shooting woes began to show in the second quarter, as the Bison were struggling to get inside through the Chucks’ one-on-one defense. By the same token, whether a shot was missed on either end of the court, Punxsutawney was pulling down the rebound, giving more possessions and more opportunities. The Chucks finished with a 34-19 advantage on the boards, and that allowed them to pull a lead through the second quarter, heading into the locker room with a 32-20 advantage.
Shooting never improved for the Bison throughout the quarter, as they finished the first half just 6-for-23. At that point, the comeback was almost becoming insurmountable, and the issues continued well into the third quarter.
Punxsutawney’s Noah Kengersky got rolling in the third, putting up 10 of his team-high 19 points in the stanza. Defensively, the Chucks were forcing tough shots, but even the opportunities for a layup or jump shot were not falling for Clearfield. The Bison would not put up their first points in the second half until 2:35 left in the third, but by then the game was out of reach as after three, the Chucks had a 52-28 lead.
Kengersky was one of two for Punxsutawney that made it into double figures, as Jimmie Neese added in 14 points.
In the fourth, Clearfield’s leading scorer for the season, Braison Patrick, would have his best outing of the game, bucketing 12 of his game-high 25 points in the stanza. Unfortunately, Clearfield’s opportunities to score were limited, as they finished the night just 14-for-49 from the floor.
The frustration for the Bison was evident as seniors Anthony Lopez and Braylen Way were on the sidelines at the end of the night, a devastated look on their faces realizing their tenure on the hardwood had come to a close. They, and their teammates, knew that this year was a rebuilding season, especially with having a new league of competition and having to fill certain voids left by the squad that preceded them. Despite that, the Bison did not leave the court without congratulating the opposition, as they knew the run they had in District IX was bound to end at some point.
Head coach Nate Glunt said many times this season that it was not a frustrating year, because no matter the situation, the team would not quit, and consistently played for 32 minutes every time they were on the court. Now that the season is over, the focus already turns to the summer workouts and leagues, as they will look ahead to the new year.
The Bison finished the year with a 5-18 final record.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Clearfield 10 10 8 16 – 44
Punxsutawney 13 19 20 18 – 70
Clearfield – 44
Parker Collins 1 0-0 2, Evett Maines 2 1-2 7, Braison Patrick 7 6-6 25, Anthony Lopez 1 0-0 3, Braylen Way 2 0-0 4, Cooper Broad 0 0-0 0, Kai Lynch 1 0-0 2, Noah Rumfola 0 0-0 0, O’Brian Owens 0 0-0 0, Carter Kasken 0 1-2 1, Landyn Lanager 0 0-0 0, Tanner Kasken 0 0-0 0, Mailyn Shipley 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 14 8-10 44.
Punxsutawney – 70
Noah Weaver 3 2-8 9, Zach Presloid 3 0-0 6, Jimmie Neese 5 1-2 14, Noah Kengersky 8 1-2 19, Beau Thomas 4 0-0 8, Mason Nesbitt 0 0-0 0, Cooper Hallman 0 2-2 2, Evan Presloid 2 0-0 6, Kolton Koppenhaver 0 1-2 1, Isaac Stouffer 0 0-0 0, Griffin White 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 26 7-16 70.
GAME STATISTICS
Clearfield/Punxsutawney
- Shooting: 14-49/26-53
- Rebounds: 19/34
- Fouls: 17/12
- Turnovers: 8/9
- Three-Point Shots: Maines-2, Patrick-5, Lopez/Weaver, Neese-3, Kengersky-2, E. Presloid-2, White
Final Clearfield Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/01 @ DuBois Central Catholic 54 – 68 0 – 1
12/05 CENTRAL 34 – 50 0 – 2
12/08 GREATER JOHNSTOWN 35 – 70 0 – 3
12/11 @ Bellefonte 45 – 62 0 – 4
12/14 BISHOP GUILFOYLE 36 – 68 0 – 5
12/18 @ Tyrone 49 – 78 0 – 6
12/21 HOLLIDAYSBURG 36 – 65 0 – 7
12/28 @ Curwensville 56 – 43 1 – 7
01/03 @ Huntingdon 51 – 57 1 – 8
01/05 @ Westmont Hilltop 47 – 72 1 – 9
01/08 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 71 – 63 2 – 9
01/11 @ Bellwood-Antis 49 – 46 3 – 9
01/15 @ West Branch 66 – 73 3 – 10
01/17 PENNS VALLEY 41 – 42 3 – 11
01/24 @ Bald Eagle Area 40 – 45 3 – 12
01/26 BEDFORD 41 – 39 4 – 12
01/31 @ Central 38 – 46 4 – 13
02/02 @ Richland 44 – 63 4 – 14
02/07 BELLEFONTE 63 – 68 4 – 15
02/09 @ Bishop Guilfoyle 61 – 90 4 – 16
02/12 TYRONE 49 – 74 4 – 17
02/13 CURWENSVILLE 65 – 32 5 – 17
D9 Playoffs
02/23 vs. Punxsutawney, In Dubois 44 – 70 5 – 18