C-L boys win first league title since '71

Sunday, February 19, 2012

CLARION - Clarion-Limestone rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to win its first conference title in 41 years with a 56-54 win over Union in the KSAC boys basketball championship game Saturday afternoon at Clarion High School.
"I'm so happy for these kids," said C-L head coach Joe Ferguson, who was on the last Lions' team to win a conference title 9Clarion County League) in 1971. "It's something that is a hard barrier to break over. We have had some teams in the past that have had chances. It comes down to one play here and there. It means a lot. The program continues to build."
C-L (19-4) trailed 32-20 at halftime but outscored Union (20-3) 36-22 in the second half, including 16-9 in the fourth quarter.
"We decided at the end of the first half to go into a total man (defense)," Ferguson said. "We haven't played a lot of man this year, but we saw the man was working and decided to go with it the whole way. That was really the difference. We have preached all year defense wins games."
After using a 15-3 run in the third quarter to close within one, 38-37, late in the quarter, C-L still found itself down 45-40 going to the fourth quarter and 48-42 three minutes into the fourth quarter.
However, C-L ended the game on a 14-6 run and took its first lead, 53-52, since early in the second quarter on a Tyler Stitt layup off a Ross Munsee pass with 42.4 seconds left. Munsee had ripped down an offensive rebound, his only rebound of the game, off a missed Billy Kelley shot and then shuffled a pass to Stitt on the left-side of the basket. Stitt finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds,
"The big guys, Adam (Mellott) and Tyler have done an unbelievable job all year," Ferguson said.
Freshman R.J. Laugand then hit two free throws with 28.2 seconds to play after a Union turnover to put the Lions up 55-52, and when Taylor Smith, who had 12 points, missed a free throw with 21 seconds left and Kelley got the rebound it looked like C-L was in control.
But, Kelley got trapped along the baseline and called a timeout. The problem was, C-L didn't have any timeouts left and was assessed a technical foul with 14.4 seconds left.
Brody Pollock, who had a team-high 16 points to go with 12 rebounds for Union, hit both free throws to make it a one-point game, 55-54, and Union got the ball out of bounds.
However, a Smith jumper with 5.9 seconds left was off the mark and Stitt hauled in the rebound to seal the Lions' victory.
"The plan was to get the ball inside," Union head coach Karen Davis said. "I thought Taylor was going to penetrate. That is what I would have rather had him do. But in that situation, you have to do what comes to you."
Stitt hit the backend of a two-shot foul to make it 56-54, and any hope of a game-tying or game-winning shot for Union went away when Laugand stripped Pollock of the basketball as he headed toward the basket.
"R.J. was phenomenal for a freshman," Ferguson said of his rookie who scored 17 points. "Something I have lacked in past years in a true point guard. R.J. is that. And he can score. His penetration to the hole means so much for our big guys."
NOTES: The victory avenged a 65-61 loss to Union earlier in the season for C-L. ... Both teams are in the District 9 Class A playoffs. ... Union, the second seed, will host a quarterfinal game Friday vs. the winner of the Cameron County-Elk County Catholic game, while C-L, the fourth seed, will host Clarion Friday.
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Reported by Chris Rossetti, For the Tri-County Sunday