CLARION-LIMESTONE  51, NORTH CLARION 50, OT

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Feb. 24, 2010 - District 9 Class A Boys' First Round

FRILLS CORNERS – It’s only fitting that it is a Winter Olympic year, because at Clarion-Limestone they are asking themselves if they believe in miracles after the 15^th seeded Lions pulled probably the biggest upset in District 9 history knocking off second-seeded North Clarion, the KSAC Champion, 51-50 in overtime in the opening round of the District 9 Class A boys’ basketball playoffs Wednesday night at North Clarion.

C-L (10-11), which had lost twice to North Clarion (19-4) this year including 78-51 23 days ago, scored the last six points of regulation to force overtime with a 45-all tie. The Lions then built a four-point lead in overtime thanks to free-throw shooting before Steven Hargenrader hit a 3-pointer at the horn to set the final count.

North Clarion led 45-39 with 1:46 left before C-L tied the game with the six straight points including a 3-pointer by Brandon Bell and two Bell free throws with 39 seconds left that knotted the contest at 45. The Wolves played for the last shot, but an illegal screen call on Hargenrader in the waning seconds meant overtime.   

In the extra session, both teams scored early before Bell hit 2 of 4 free throws to put C-L up 49-47. Eric Hesdon then made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 50-47, and a Billy Kelley steal followed by a Kelly free throw made it 51-47.

C-L led 24-21 at halftime after outscoring North Clarion 16-11 in the second quarter, but the Wolves answered in the third outdistancing the Lions 16-10 in the quarter to take a 37-34 lead into the final frame.

Bell led all scorers with 25 points and hit four 3-pointers, while Kelley added nine.

Jeremy Schmader paced North Clarion with 21 tallies and Hargenrader added 12.

C-L will now play at seventh-seeded Coudersport, a 61-46 winner over Smethport, in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday.

NOTES – The win avenged a quarterfinal loss at North Clarion by C-L last season … C-L has won 4 of its last 6 games … It is believed that the Lions are the lowest seed to ever win a boys’ playoff game. Records exist back to 1980-81 and in only a couple of those year where the tournament even got as big as 13. Since 1999, the lowest seed to win was No. 11 Cameron County beating No. 6 Austin in 2002 and No. 11 Ridgway knocking off No. 6 Union 58-56 Wednesday night as well ... Four No. 10 seeds have won since 1999 with Union knocking off Port Allegany last year, Curwensville beating North Clarion in 2003, A-C Valley topping Otto-Eldred in 2000 and Elk County Catholic beating Clarion in 1999 on its way to the District 9 title … C-L used a 2-3 zone most of the night to hold District 9’s third-highest scoring team (65.2 ppg) to its fifth lowest point total of the year. The Lions also held the Wolves to 50 points at North Clarion Dec. 21 but lost 50-41.

CLARION-LIMESTONE 51, NORTH CLARION 50, overtime

Score by Quarters

C-L 8 16 10 11 6 – 51

N.C. 10 11 16 8 5 – 50

Clarion-Limestone – 51

Eric Hesdon 2 1-2 5, Ross Munsee 1 1-2 3, Brandon Bell 8 5-8 25, Billy Kelley 3 2-4 9, Zach Kemmer 2 2-2 7, Adam Mellott 1 0-0 2, Billy Leadbetter 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-18 51.

North Clarion – 50

Jeremy Schmader 7 5-8 21, Johnny Bobak 3 0-3 7, Zach Weaver 0 0-1 0, Tyler Miller 1 0-0 3, Kyle Gilbert 3 0-0 7, Steven Hargenrader 3 5-6 12, Justin Schmader 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 10-18 50.

Three-pointers – C-L 5 (Bell 4, Kelley). North Clarion 5 (Schmader 2, Bobak, Gilbert, Hargenrader).