Clarion-Limestone Survives Union Rally to Move on to KSAC Title Game

CLARION, Pa. (EYT/D9) — After squandering a 12-point lead in the third quarter to trail by three with 48 seconds remaining, Clarion-Limestone scored the final eight points of the contest to claim a 56-51 victory over Union in a KSAC semifinal game at PennWest-Clarion on Thursday evening.

(Pictured above, Jack Callen was name the ExploreClarion KSAC Hager Paving Incorporated Player of the Game/photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)

Payton Johnston got a steal and layup giving Union a 51-48 lead with 48 seconds remaining. Following a C-L timeout, Jack Callen scored and then stole the inbounds pass and was fouled. He made both free throws for a 52-51 Lions’ lead. Alex Painter then collected a pair of steals and baskets to set the final score.

“That last minute shows what we’re capable of defensively,” said C-L head coach Joe Ferguson. “We kind of lost our defensive intensity in the latter part of the second quarter and into the second half.”

Painter paced the Lions with 16 points with Callen adding 14 points and seven rebounds.

Jack Craig added 10 points, all in the first half. Ty Rankin pulled down six rebounds.

Clarion-Limestone Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.

“Jack Craig was kind of feeling it in the first half, which he’s capable of and it helped us get that early lead,” said Ferguson.

Zander Laughlin had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead Union. Johnston added 13 points with nine rebounds. Dawson Camper and Skyler Roxbury each added nine points with Camper pulling down nine rebounds.

C-L jumped out to an 8-2 lead en route to a 16-6 lead after one.

Each team would score 17 points in the second quarter leaving C-L still with a 10-point lead of 33-23 at halftime.

(Union’s Dawson Camper, left, fights for a rebound with Clarion-Limestone’s Jack Callen/photo by Dave Cyphert)

From the five minute mark on in the third quarter Union would use a 16-4 run to tie the game 41-all. Jordan Hesdon would score two free throws to give CL a 43-41 lead after three.

Union would take their first lead of the game 45-43 at the 6:45 mark of the fourth on a Camper basket.

An old fashion three by Johnston at the 1:42 mark would give the Knights a 49-48 lead prior to his steal and layup for the 51-48 lead.

C-L will play Karns City in the championship game on Saturday. The two teams split their regular season games with each team winning at home.

“It should be a fun one and we’re looking forward to it,” said Ferguson.

Clarion-Limestone Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.