Feb. 7, 2008

CLARION - The Clarion University men's and women's basketball teams will host California in key PSAC-West midseason contests Saturday night at Tippin Gym. The women's game is set for 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.

The doubleheader is Clarion's "Take a Kid to the Game Day" with all kids 14 and under get in free.

Clarion women tied with Cal, Shippensburg for second place

The Golden Eagles women's team enters the game in a second-place tie in the PSAC-West with California and Shippensburg with six games to play. All three teams are 4-2 in the PSAC-West a game back of first-place IUP and two games ahead of fifth-place Edinboro with the top four teams earning PSAC Playoff berths.

Clarion (14-6 overall), which is ranked 10th in the NCAA Division II East Region, comes into the game riding a four-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles beat Slippery Rock 65-48 Wednesday night.

Team would be the opportune word for Clarion with four players averaging in double digits led by Katrina Greer's 14.5 ppg and team-high 29 3-pointers. Jessica Albanese is adding 12.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg and scored her 1,000th career point at the beginning of January (she has 1,144), My'Kea Cohill chips in with 11.3 ppg and Sara Pratt averages 10.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg while also blocking 52 shots, which is the fifth most blocks in school history in a season and just one behind Cheryl Bansek for fourth and two back of Carlita Jones for third.

Two additional key players for Clarion are point guard Ashley Grimm (8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) who leads the PSAC in assists per game 6.4 and who is the school's all-time leading assist giver (526), and Janelle Zabresky, who averages 8.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg while blocking 43 shots off the bench.

California (17-4), which has lost two straight, is ranked second in the East Region. The Vulcans are led by Brooque Williams (16.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Kayla Smith (16.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg). California (17-4) beat Clarion (14-6) 71-42 Jan. 19 at Cal, but Clarion won the last meeting at Tippin between the teams knocking off the Vulcans 69-58 last January. In fact, Clarion has won two of the past three meetings between the teams in Clarion also taking home a victory in 2005.

Golden Eagle men have won three of four

Clarion's men's team enters Saturday's game having won three of its past four games including a 76-63 win over Slippery Rock Wednesday. It was the Golden Eagles (11-9 overall, 3-3 PSAC-West) fourth straight home win, and Clarion is 7-3 at Tippin Gym this season. Clarion is in fourth place in the PSAC-West a game back of IUP for third and a game ahead of Slippery Rock for fourth with the top four squads making the PSAC Playoffs.

Freshman Mike Sherry, who was the PSAC-West Player of the Week two weeks ago while also being named PSAC-West Rookie of the Week three times this season, leads the Golden Eagles with 12.5 ppg. He has also hit a team-high 51 three-pointers while shooting 43.2 percent (51 of 188) from beyond the arc.

Three forwards are also contributing heavily for Clarion with Josh Yanke averaging 12.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, Ricky Henderson adding 11.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 31 blocked shots in 14 games and Damon Gross putting in 9.5 ppg while adding 6.2 rpg.

Guards Lonnell Jones (8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 63 assists), Demetrius Graham (7.2 ppg, 4.0 apg, 2.7 spg) and Ron Hollis (4.7 ppg, 20 assists) are also playing key minutes for Clarion.

Ron Banks (14.2 ppg) and Theron Colao (12.7 ppg) are the leading scorers for California, while Alioune Mbaye (8.2 rpg) and Banks (6.4 rpg) clean up the glass for the Vulcans, who are 15-4 overall and 6-0 in the PSAC-West and ranked seventh in the East Region. Cal has won six straight games including a 70-60 decision over Clarion Jan. 19 at Cal.

Both Clarion teams return to action Wednesday when they host IUP at 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men).