CLARION, Pa. – You will have to excuse Clarion-Limestone opponents if they weren’t paying much attention to Alex Painter.
Also see: ECC Wins AML Girls Title • ECC Wins AML Boys Title • Redbank Valley wins KSAC Girls Title
But you will have to wonder why if they don’t moving forward.
The senior, who until just seven short games ago, was averaging just 5.9 points per game, made himself an instant C-L legend Saturday night leading the Lions to their seventh KSAC title in the last 12 years (in one of those years, 2021, there was no league champion because of COVID-19) and their first since 2019 with a 51-46 win over Karns City at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym.
Photo by Jared Bakaysa
Not only did Painter score a game-high 17 points, but he also scored the game’s biggest basket.
With C-L trailing 44-43 with under three minutes to play after blowing a 42-35 fourth-quarter lead, Painter got a rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Taite Beighley and went coast-to-coast for a go-ahead layup with 2:33 to play.
“I got the ball, and I had a little bit of space,” Painter said. “I was feeling good tonight, so (shrugs shoulder).”
After Jacob Callihan missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Jack Craig made it 47-44 with a pair of free throws.
Beighley got the Gremlins back to within one, 47-46, on two free throws with 51.8 seconds left, but Jack Callen took a pass from Craig and scored with 26.3 seconds left to put the Lions up three again, and then Callen hit two free throws with 8.3 seconds to go to seal the win.
“It’s surreal,” C-L’s 17th-year head coach Joe Ferguson said. “To be honest, when Jase (Ferguson) went down a few games ago, it took the air out of the balloon. These guys were playing it for Jase tonight. It’s a team game, other guys have to step up. Like I said, it’s kind of a surreal feeling. It’s the seventh one I have been able to win, and everyone is sweet. It is just fun to compete under this atmosphere.”
The second half was a back-and-forth affair with Karns City rallying from a 23-19 halftime deficit to take a 33-30 lead in the third quarter on a Micah Rupp basket before C-L. thanks to Jordan Hesdon hitting 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:30 of the third quarter – tying the game at 35 going to the fourth quarter.
Those Hesdon charity shots started a 12-2 run for the Lions that ended, fittingly enough, with two more Hesdon charity shots that gave the Lions a 42-35 lead with 6:12 to play.
Karns City, though, fought back with a 9-1 run that included five points from Rupp and four from Beighley to take a 44-43 lead on a Beighley basket with 3:27 to play.
But Beighley’s basket was the last score by the Gremlins, as C-L finished the game on an 8-2 run.
“It feels great,” Painter said. “We have been working the whole season for this. To be here is awesome.”
In addition to Painter’s 17 points, Jordan Hesdon had 12 and Callen 11 for the Lions, who got scoring from seven different players.
“It’s awesome (watching the younger guys step up),” Painter said. “Being with them the whole year, practicing with them, we have all become close. It’s awesome seeing them out there.”
Watch Painter’s full postgame interview
Beighley and Rupp led Karns City with 15 points each.
Both teams head to the District 9 Class 2A playoffs.
C-L, the second seed, will host Kane Wednesday, while Karns City, the third seed, will host Port Allegany Wednesday.
Watch a breakdown of the game – along with a breakdown of the boys’ KSAC title game and a quick preview of the D9 playoffs on the QR Code Coach’s Chalkboard Postgame show.
