Overtime Setback

Clarion plays spoiler in WJU opener

By NICK BEDWAY For The Intelligencer

Clarion (Pa.) University guard Aaron Trail penetrated the lane and hit a short jumper with 7.4 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Golden Eagles a 94-92 victory against debuting Wheeling Jesuit University on Thursday night at the Alma Grace McDonough Center.

The Cardinals did get an open look for the last shot, racing down the floor and getting the ball into the hands of their most experienced player Magsood Harrington. The four-year vet stopped just behind the arc to the left of the circle and cut loose a 3-point attempt which would have won the game but his shot skipped off the rim and bounced away.

''The way this game was going, I thought the team with the last shot was going to win it,'' Clarion coach Ron Righter said. ''When Harrington got it off, I expected it to go in. Fortunately for our side, it didn't.''

''We got a look and it just didn't drop,'' sighed Wheeling coach Danny Sancomb, whose battling club erased an eight-point deficit in the final 5:49 of regulation and snared an 84-82 lead only to see Clarion (2-1) tie the game when Marcus Robinson rolled in a leaner to force the extra session.

The Golden Eagles opened a seven-point spread in the overtime and again the Cardinals refused to go quietly. Harrington provided five straight points and two free throws from freshman Steve Catich knotted the score at 92-92 with 24 seconds remaining.

The hard-luck defeat spoiled a brilliant debut by Wheeling Jesuit freshman point guard Cedric Harris.

The 5-foot-11 dazzler from Zanesville High School played 40 plus minutes, scoring 29 points while also being charted with 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Harris played turnover-free basketball in the first half and made up for one his three miscues during the second half when he stole the ball back, cruised into the lane and hit nothing but net on his 15-foot jumper that gave the Cardinals the lead at 83-81.

Unfortunately, when Wheeling needed a stop the most at the other end of the court, the hosts couldn't do it. It was kind of the story of the game, according to Sancomb.

''We didn't defend very well all night. If we are going to be win games like this, we have to have play better defense,'' he said

Sancomb also was disappointed with the Cardinals struggles behind the arc. Overall, Wheeling connected on 11 of 40 trifecta attempts,

''We fell in love with the 3-pointer and stopped doing the things that got us the lead in the first half,'' Sancomb claimed. ''We honestly had good looks but you got to make them.''

When the hosts quit trying to take the ball inside, however, they also limited their opportunities from the foul line. The Cardinals went 10 of 12 at the foul line in the first half while opening a 12-point advantage. However, with time winding down, Clarion took advantage of Wheeling's cold spell from the outside to move within 50-47 at the break. In the second half, the Cardinals got to the foul line only nine times while the Golden Eagles made 15 of 21 free throws to finish with a 23-33 foul line total.

Harris, the rookie with phenom potential, and Harrington provided most of the Cardinals' offense. Harrington tallied 24 points on 9 of 21 shooting from the field. While none of the other Wheeling players reached double figures, the 6-5 Obi Ukwuoma, another freshman, had nine points and 13 rebounds in his collegiate debut. Clarion's Robinson, 6-3 junior out of Pittsburgh Taylor-Allderdice High School, and Josh Yanke, 6-8 senior from North Canton, OH combined for 26 and 23 points, respectively.

''Robinson's our main guy,'' Righter said. ''Yanke's been very steady for us the last couple of years. He did a nice job (Thursday night).''

Righter, a former St. Joseph's (Pa.) University player and a teammate of former

Cardinals coach Jim O'Brien, was impressed with what he saw of Harris. ''That kid is a excellent player. He looked more like a senior than a freshman.''

Although the Golden Eagles sprinted out to a 5-0 lead in the early going, Wheeling got off the deck with an 11-2 run as a Harris 15-footer put the Cardinals up 8-7.

Harris went on to score 12 points during the first 20 minutes as Wheeling Jesuit led 45-33 before Trail's 3-pointer triggered a 10-2 run by Clarion. Kyle Higgins' only bucket of the night, a triple, helped the Cardinals hang on to a 50-47 halftime spread.

The Eagles scored nine straight points early in the second half for a 59-54 lead and Clarion stayed in front until the final 1:20. After Harris drained a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 81-78 with 1:57 left, Harrington forced Clarion into a turnover when he trapped Ron Hollis on the sideline. He then tied the score by burying a 3-pointer from the corner.

An errant Clarion pass got the ball back to Harris but he had it knocked away while he was attempting a drive toward the basket. However, just as quickly, Harris swiped the ball back near the midcourt line, drove just inside the circle and cashed the go-ahead basket.

The Eagles, without hesitation, set up their stud Robinson, who worked his way inside and rolled the ball off the front of the rim into the basket with 8 seconds left to force the overtime.

Easy penetrations inside led to baskets by Shameel Cary and Robinson giving Clarion the lead at 87-83. After Harrington connected on a short jumper, Robinson put on another nice move resulting in a conventional three-point play for a 90-85 advantage.

The Cardinals missed at their end and Gross scored again from the inside to put the lead at seven points with 1:30 left. Harris's stopped the drought with his 12-footer and an offensive foul gave the game back to Wheeling, setting up Harrington's 3-pointer from deep in the right corner, pulling the hosts to within 92-90 at the 1:07 mark.

After misses on both ends, Ukwuoma, dished the ball inside to Catich, who was fouled going up for the shot. Catich dropped in both free throws to tie the score again but Trail's open shot from inside gave the Eagles the victory.