Box Score
Tyra Polite scored 19 of her game-high 23 points in the first half to help Clarion erase a nine-point second quarter deficit and lead the Golden Eagles to an 83-61 PSAC Western Division victory over the Lady Cats, Friday afternoon in the Sports Center.  Victoria Moreland scored 19 points for Pitt-Johnstown, which fell to 6-6 overall and 2-4 in the PSAC West.
 
Karington Ketterer's short jumper to close out the first quarter gave Pitt-Johnstown a five-point advantage and Moreland's bucket in the paint to begin the second quarter made it 26-19.
 
The Lady Cats increased it to 36-27 on another bucket from Ketterer, but Clarion went on to outscore Pitt-Johnstown 13-4 over the final 3:30 to knot it at 40 at the half.  Back-to-back 3-pointer from Polite cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to one, before Jordan Bekelja connected on one of two from the free-throw line with 20 seconds left to tie it at the break.
 
Clarion held the momentum and got a basket from Bekelja on its first possession of the third quarter to take its first lead since the first minute of the game.
 
The Golden Eagles never gave up the lead on went on to outscore Pitt-Johnstown 43-21 in the second half.
 
Bekelja's 3-pointer with just under a minute left in the third quarter pushed Clarion's lead into double figures at 59-49, and a pair of free-throws by Taylor Moltz with 45 seconds left in regulation gave the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the afternoon at 83-60.
 
Moreland scored 19 points, and Olivia McCabe added 16 points to lead Pitt-Johnstown.  Gabrielle Smith had nine points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Ketterer scored seven points off the bench.  The Lady Cats also got four points, five rebounds, and seven assists from Laurel O'Barto.
 
Pitt-Johnstown, which was out-rebounded 45-30, shot 46.2% for the game, but just 26.1% in the second half.  The Lady Cats were also held to 2-14 shooting from 3-point range and 11-20 from the free-throw line.  Clarion, shot 40.6% from the floor, 9-21 from behind the 3-point line, and 18-26 from the charity stripe.
 
Polite's game-high 23 points, including 5-9 from 3-point range, led four Golden Eagles who scored in double figures.  Bekelja had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Ashley Deleonibus had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Amesha Harden-Pullium scored 11 points and dished out eight assists for Clarion, which improved to 8-4 overall and 5-1 in the PSAC West.
 
The Lady Cats travel to PSAC games at Indiana (PA) on Tuesday and at Edinboro on Friday, before hosting a conference doubleheader with the Mountain Cats against Gannon on January 9, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Sports Center.