The Clearfield Bison basketball squads both battle on Wednesday, with the boys team defeating Bald Eagle Area, while the girls team fell to St. Joseph’s Academy.
(These articles were provided by our News Partner GantDaily.com.)
Clearfield Boys 67, Bald Eagle 39
WINGATE, Pa. — As the snow was approaching the area on Wednesday night, the Clearfield Bison were looking to keep rolling in the victory column as they approach the latter part of the 2021 campaign. This night meant another trip on the bus, eastbound and down to Wingate to take on the Bald Eagle Area Eagles.
A strong first half offensively, and then an even more stellar second half defensively is what helped Clearfield finish the night on the correct side of the 67-39 final, keeping their winning ways on track in the Mountain League.
Clearfield started the night pushing the pace for the Bald Eagle defense, as Karson Rumsky would get into an early groove, putting down 11 of his game-high 18 points in the opening frame. Rumsky finished the night with five rebounds and five assists, plus a trio of blocks and a pair of steals. The Bison would finish the quarter with a 21-12 advantage. The second quarter saw Cole Miller get hot as he finished with 15 points, all courtesy of five shots outside the arc. Miller also added in another four assists.
The Bison bench had a stellar night once again as Ryan Gearhart came on in limited minutes, but put up 13 points along with three assists and a pair of steals. Curvey Purkett came in as well with great minutes off the bench, putting up six points but also had three blocks to keep Bald Eagle from crucial points.
Bald Eagle won the second quarter in a slim 17-16 margin, but found itself down by three possessions at the end of the first half.
The second half, it was all about defense, and capitalizing on opportunities.
Clearfield would hold the Eagles to just 10 points for the final 16 minutes of action. In the fourth quarter alone, Bald Eagle could not muster a field goal, as they were limited to only a pair of free throws in the scoring department. Meanwhile, Clearfield put up 30 points in the final two quarters, cruising to the victory.
For Bald Eagle, it was Kaden Burns leading in scoring with 14 points, including going 10-for-10 from the foul line, while Alex Gavlock added in another 11.
Clearfield (11-5) has one final game this week on the schedule. Thursday night they will be inside the Bison Gymnasium as they will host the Punxsutawney Chucks, with the varsity tip-off coming at approximately 7:30 p.m.
St. Joseph’s Academy 58, Clearfield Girls 43
BOALSBURG, Pa. — Hoping to recover from the tough loss on Monday night, the Clearfield Lady Bison made the trek to Boalsburg for some non-league action as they would face off with the Lady Wolfpack of St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy. This game was slightly different than previous contests as the Lady Wolfpack had a very small roster, and it meant a tip-off earlier than usual as no junior varsity contest would be played. Both squads were rested and fresh, ready for action.
Although it looked good to start the night for Clearfield, a dismal second quarter proved costly. St. Joseph’s almost quadrupled the scoring output of Clearfield in one quarter, taking a lead they would never surrender, as the Lady Bison suffered their third straight loss on the season.
The Lady Bison got off to a quick and strong start in the opening stanza, pulling out to a 13-7 advantage at the end of eight minutes. However, the second quarter it all came to a quick, debilitating, and agonizing halt. Clearfield could only put up six points, but the Lady Wolfpack ignited the scoreboard. St. Joseph’s put up 23 points in the ensuing eight minutes, taking a 30-19 advantage into halftime that would never be given up on the night.
Clearfield was paced by Emma Hipps, who led the team with 12 points. Riley Ryen also managed to hit double figures as she finished with 11 points, and would make one of the only two shots from behind the arc on the night for the Lady Bison. Hipps would also be the only Lady Bison to even touch the free throw line during the game, and even then it was only for a pair of free throws. In comparison, the Lady Wolfpack would go to the line on 15 occasions.
St. Joseph’s was paced by Bridget Scanlon, who finished with a game-high 24 points, while Kate Youngmark also got in double figures with 18 points. Despite only having seven players on their roster, five of the Lady Wolfpack would account for points on the night.
Clearfield (6-7) will try to get back to the .500-mark on the season this Friday as they will once again be on the road, facing off with the Lady Dragons of Central. The two squads faced off back on January 21, with Clearfield pulling off a hard-fought 60-56 victory in the Bison Gymnasium. Tip-off for the varsity contest will be approximately 7:30 p.m.
