CU Women’s Hoops Losses 20 PSAC Games for Second Time in Four Years

| February 25, 2018


CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Clarion women’s basketball team concluded its 2017-18 season on Saturday, falling 73-50 to 24th-ranked California (Pa.) at the Convocation Center.

With the loss, the Golden Eagles finish the year at 7-21 overall, 2-20 in PSAC play.

It marks the second time in four years that Jana Ashley’s Golden Eagles have lost 20 conference games – Clarion was 2-25 and 1-21 in Ashley’s first season in 2015 – and it was the third time in four years the Golden Eagles have been under .500 in conference play under Ashley. The Golden Eagles also lost seven more total games than last season (14 to 21) while winning eight fewer (15 to seven). And it is not like it was a young team with four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen.

On Saturday, seniors Amesha Harden-Pullium and Marina Kelly played their final games in the Blue and Gold, with the former finishing with a team-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds and an assist. Tynita White had a solid game, finishing 10 points and six boards, while Yasmin Lewis finished with a team-high 10 rebounds.

There was never really a point where things got out of hand with the Vulcans, but California incrementally built their lead over the Golden Eagles en route to setting the final score. Even in the fourth quarter, Clarion was still within striking distance, with Kelly scoring on a second-chance opportunity to cut the Vulcans’ lead to just 60-46 with plenty of time remaining.

Early on, Clarion put the pressure on the Vulcans, taking a 5-3 lead after a three-pointer by Harden-Pullium, and an 8-7 advantage after a trey from Taylor Moltz. California took the lead but couldn’t pull too far ahead as they traded baskets with the Golden Eagles. Harden-Pullium made a close-range jumper with 1:45 left in the first quarter to make it a two-possession game, and Lewis added a free throw to make it 19-14 at the first quarter break.

In the second quarter, White cut the deficit to four points with a bucket that made it 22-18, and the lead remained in the single digits until very late in the half. Jiahna Flood-Francis set the halftime deficit at 41-29 after a jumper in the final five seconds, and from there the Vulcans piled on. The advantage went as high as 23 points in the third quarter, and though Clarion pulled closer the Vulcans held on for the win.


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