HYDE — Sometimes the hardest part to following up a big win against a tough opponent is to follow it up without feeling some lingering effects from the prior game. The worry of coming out stale, and unable to perform, is very real, especially in basketball when the next game is the following night. For the Clearfield Bison, that worry was real, as after their come-from-behind win one night prior against Bishop Guilfoyle, the squad was back in the Bison Gymnasium for another major showdown, this time against the visiting Tyrone Golden Eagles.
Tyrone came out hot, and made it difficult for any momentum to come to the home squad. Defensively, Clearfield was not playing their best ball early on. However, adjustments and turnovers changed things around, and at night’s end a 82-65 final came the way of the Bison to improve their record to 14-1.
“Tyrone came out playing really well. They executed, cut hard, screened well, and are talented,” Bison head coach Nate Glunt said afterwards. “Give them credit, but we were able to get back into a flow, get some stops. Offensively, we played well the entire game. Where we need to get better is on defense.”
Glunt was accurate in his assessment as the Golden Eagles got out to a 7-0 lead before Clearfield finally got on the board. The hard cuts allowed Tyrone to get on the board quickly, and often. The Bison battled back to keep it to a single-digit deficit, but a 20-13 lead for the Golden Eagles showed that the night was going to be a battle from start to finish.
The second quarter saw everything change. Clearfield managed to get some critical stops in the beginning, as Glunt foreshadowed. That led to seeing a couple of their stud seniors making big gains on the score. Both Evett Maines and Braison Patrick found their groove, combining for 17 points in the stanza. Each would play a key role as well with fellow teammates in ball movement, keeping possessions alive.
Defensively, Clearfield buckled down and made it difficult for the Golden Eagles to soar like they did in the first quarter.
After 20 points, and shooting 75 percent in the first eight minutes, Tyrone was limited to just 4-for-11 in the second quarter. Clearfield tripled the scoring, and took a 37-28 lead into halftime.
But that lead seemed to never be safe, even after they got it.
“It was never a comfortable lead. At one point, we’d get it up to maybe nine points, or 10, and suddenly it was six. We’d get it back to eight, and then it was as low as five,” Glunt said. “We were finally able, in the fourth, to open it up a little bit.”
Patrick and Maines were two of four Bison players in double figures. Patrick accounted for a tie for game-high scoring, finishing with 25 points, including five threes. Maines was just behind with 23 points. Parker Collins would drain 12 points, adding in seven rebounds and five assists. Elijah Glunt bucketed 10 points, with an additional seven assists.
When it came to rebounds, Clearfield would out-board the Golden Eagles, with Tanner Kaskan leading all on the glass with 10 rebounds, plus a steal and a pair of blocks.
Tyrone saw three in double figures, despite the loss, with Ashton Emigh finishing with 25 points, Eli Woomer accounted for 14, and Mason Emigh added in 12.
Glunt admitted there was a bit of worry coming off a win like they had against the Marauders, but spoke on how the team was able to recover and refocus, stating, “Thank goodness, we were at home for that one, the first home game in nearly a month. The kids got home at a decent time, yet I wasn’t sure if they slept well because of all the excitement. I know I didn’t sleep very much, but they came out and fought through adversity to play a very good game.”
Clearfield also took the junior varsity contest, 52-29.
“These kids, they love playing together, and they support each other. Many this week went and supported a teammate for swimming, and you can see how much fun they are having,” he said. “That makes my job so much easier and makes it more fun. But, we still have some work to do, and we’ll be back at it.”
Both Glunt and athletic director Bob Gearhart noted that Clearfield’s next game on Monday, January 26, on the road against Brookville is facing a high probability of being postponed due to the impending winter storm that is set to hit the area beginning on Saturday evening and lasting through late Monday morning. Gearhart said prior to Friday’s contest, in the likelihood of a postponement, the game will be played on February 2.
Should Monday’s game be postponed, Clearfield will be back on the court on Wednesday, January 28, when they have their second contest of the season against Hollidaysburg. The two squads faced one another in the season-opener, with Clearfield taking the 71-59 win.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Tyrone 20 8 23 14 – 65
Clearfield 13 24 23 22 – 82
Tyrone – 65
Carter Gwinn 2 0-0 6, Billy Rudden 0 0-0 0, Eli Woomer 5 1-1 14, Ashton Emigh 10 5-5 25, Mason Emigh 5 2-4 12, Braydon Parsons 0 0-0 0, Conner Zupon 0 0-0 0, Ben Walk 2 0-0 4, Jon Stroup 1 0-0 3, Owen Oakes 0 1-2 1. TOTALS 25 9-12 65.
Clearfield – 82
Parker Collins 5 0-0 12, Evett Maines 9 1-3 23, Elijah Glunt 4 2-2 10, Braison Patrick 10 0-0 25, Tanner Kaskan 3 1-2 7, Noah Rumfola 1 0-0 2, Easton Maines 0 0-0 0, Cooper Broad 0 0-0 0, JT Strishock 0 0-0 0, Ethan Coudriet 1 0-0 3, Dominic Natoli 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 33 4-7 82.
GAME STATISTICS
Tyrone/Clearfield
- Shooting: 25-33/33-65
- Rebounds: 24/30
- Fouls: 13/16
- Turnovers: 18/11
- Three-Point Shots: Gwinn-2, Woomer-3, Stroup/Collins-2, Ev. Maines-4, Patrick-5, Coudriet
Clearfield Bison Basketball Scoreboard
| DATE AND OPPONENT | SCORE | RECORD |
| 12/2 HOLLIDAYSBURG | PPD. | 0-0 |
| 12/4 HOLLIDAYSBURG | 71-59 | 1-0 |
| 12/8 at Huntingdon | 69-45 | 2-0 |
| 12/11 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 76-30 | 3-0 |
| 12/15 at Penns Valley | 61-45 | 4-0 |
| 12/17 at Somerset (6:15 p.m.) | 71-39 | 5-0 |
| 12/19 CHESTNUT RIDGE | PPD. | 5-0 |
| 12/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS | 64-60 | 6-0 |
| 12/29 at Curwensville (6 p.m.) | 56-31 | 7-0 |
| 12/30 CHESTNUT RIDGE | 87-40 | 8-0 |
| 1/5 at Bald Eagle Area | 69-43 | 9-0 |
| 1/8 at West Branch | 81-42 | 10-0 |
| 1/12 at Central | 56-44 | 11-0 |
| 1/14 at Bellefonte | 73-52 | 12-0 |
| 1/16 at Forest Hills | 44-72 | 12-1 |
| 1/21 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | PPD. | 12-1 |
| 1/22 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | 53-48 | 13-1 |
| 1/23 TYRONE | 82-65 | 14-1 |
| 1/26 at Brookville (7:15 p.m.) | PPD. | 14-1 |
| 1/28 at Hollidaysburg | ||
| 1/30 CENTRAL CAMBRIA | ||
| 1/31 at Brookville | ||
| 2/4 HUNTINGDON | ||
| 2/5 at Philipsburg-Osceola | ||
| 2/9 PENNS VALLEY | ||
| 2/10 PUNXSUTAWNEY (7:15 p.m.) |
