HYDE — Two sides with bleachers packed with fans was a welcome sight on Tuesday evening in the Bison Gymnasium. Before warmups ever took place, the four Clearfield Bison senior players got to walk on the hardwood to applause and appreciation for all they have given to the program. Immediately after, the business at hand was closing out the regular season in the best way possible. On the opposing side, the visiting Punxsutawney Chucks were wanting to send the home squad into their post season with some woes.
This night belonged to the seniors at the start. At the end of the night, it belonged to the team, and not just the players. A night where a record fell, and a milestone achieved, went the way of Clearfield in a 72-51 final to finish the regular season at a monumental 20-2.
“Punxy has some big kids. They look almost like they live in the weight room. Strong kids that pound the ball inside, and also really well-coached”, Bison head coach Nate Glunt said after the win. “They play physical, but are really good kids. You could see at some points in the game, ours were talking to them, almost like talking to one of their buddies, but still in a competitive way.
“This was a good battle.”
That battle on this night led to a pair of monumental moments for Clearfield, continuing a very successful week for the team. It started with the seniors being honored, but it wasn’t until the fourth quarter when a record that was just a few years old suddenly went to another young man. Braison Patrick already had eclipsed 1000 points for his career, but he was on the cusp of taking over a record that a few years prior was set by another all-time great for the Bison, Cole Miller.
At the 4:03 mark in the final quarter, he did just that.
On a night where he tied for most points in the game, 23, alongside Parker Collins, that jump shot midway through the final quarter was the one that put him as the all-time leading scorer for the Bison.
“I’m really fortunate. Both those kids work really hard and want to be good. They put so much time in; you don’t get that record just by showing up. You have to buy in, be dedicated, consistent, and have great qualities as a person,” Glunt said of both players.
Clearfield and Punxsutawney were in a tight battle in the opening quarter, swapping the lead back and forth until the Bison finally settled in to hold a five-point advantage. At that point, it was being able to penetrate the defense, not just with fast action, but the size difference. Patrick helped fuel that run in the second quarter, as the Bison went into the locker room with a 33-20 advantage.
Along with Patrick and Collins, Evett Maines followed up his 1000-point performance with a 14-point effort. Elijah Glunt led the team with eight assists.
When the night concluded, after Clearfield gave their seniors a curtain call, and the buzzer sounded, a second moment of celebration gave reason for photos and posters.
After all the success with each season, even in times of struggle, Glunt saw his team give him something that he can say he has in common with “The King” Richard Petty. The win against the Chucks is Glunt’s 200th win as head coach for Clearfield, but even afterwards, the humble coach was not even thinking about himself.
“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by very good people, and to have really good players. I’m just a piece to this puzzle,” Glunt said of the accomplishment. “The record is for me, yes, but it’s the whole program’s success. I’m so fortunate to be allowed to coach alongside so many great assistant coaches, and to coach so many great players.”
Punxsutawney still put up a battle, with Beau Thomas leading the way with 21 points. However, a total of 22 turnovers gave a lot of extra opportunities to the Bison, most of which got cashed in for points.
The regular season has concluded for the Bison, but the work is not done in Glunt’s eyes. In two days, the first part of the playoff run begins with an opportunity to do something that they have not been able to do the last couple seasons, which is compete for a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference title. That quest starts on Thursday night, as the semi-final matchup will be a return contest against Forest Hills, the same team that gave Clearfield one of its two losses.
“We’re getting back to work tomorrow, but I’m already excited for Thursday,” he said. “We’re looking forward to playing them again. I’m just glad it’s at home.”
The Bison and the Rangers will have an early tip-off in the semi-final contest, as the game is set for 6 p.m. The winner will move onto the championship contest on Saturday night, with that game being played at St. Francis University.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Punxsutawney 10 10 16 15 – 51
Clearfield 15 18 23 16 – 72
Punxsutawney – 51
Beau Thomas 8 5-5 21, Nevin Day 5 1-4 11, Maddox Hetrick 2 2-5 6, Evan Presloid 1 1-2 4, Max Burkett 3 0-0 7, Teeg Hetrick 0 0-0 0, Scout Ryan 0 0-0 0, Jonah Weaver 0 0-0 0, Brady Moore 1 0-0 2, Aiden Anthony 0 0-0 0, Max Roberts 0 0-0 0, Creyson Pearce 0 0-0 0, Jack Janocha 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 20 9-16 51.
Clearfield – 72
Parker Collins 8 2-2 23, Evett Maines 6 0-0 14, Elijah Glunt 1 1-3 3, Braison Patrick 8 4-6 23, Tanner Kaskan 2 0-0 4, Cooper Broad 1 0-0 3, Easton Maines 0 0-0 0, Noah Rumfola 0 0-0 0, JT Strishock 1 0-0 2, Demitri Vitullo 0 0-0 0, Dominic Natoli 0 0-0 0, Nolan Livergood 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 27 7-11 71.
GAME STATISTICS
Punxsutawney/Clearfield
- Shooting: 20-50/27-61
- Rebounds: 24/26
- Fouls: 9/15
- Turnovers: 22/11
- Three-Point Shots: Presloid, Burkett/Collins-5, Maines-2, Patrick-3, Broad
- Delay of Game: Clearfield-1:51 Q1
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 | 9-0Â |
| 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 | 53-55 | 14-2 |
| 1/30 CENTRAL CAMBRIA | 78-38 | 15-2 |
| 1/31 at Brookville | 62-56 | 16-2 |
| 2/4 HUNTINGDON | 63-54 | 17-2 |
| 2/5 at Philipsburg-Osceola | 65-36 | 18-2 |
| 2/9 PENNS VALLEY | 75-61 | 19-2 |
| 2/10 PUNXSUTAWNEY (7:15 p.m.) | 72-51 | 20-2 |
| 2/12 FOREST HILLS (6 p.m.) Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference semi-final |
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