CLARION, Pa. – Using a 10-2 second-half run, Redbank Valley picked up a 56-49 win at Clarion in non-league action.
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The Bulldogs (11-1) trailed 39-37 following a Gabe Simko basket with 1:06 to play in the third quarter.
But Ty Carrier nailed a 3-pointer, on of seven on the night for Redbank Valley, including three by Carrier, to put the Bulldogs ahead 40-39 going to the fourth quarter.
Still up one, 42-41, Owen Clouse drilled a 3-pointer with 5:24 to go to make it 45-41, and Braylon Wagner made it a six-point lead, 47-41, with a bucket with 4:13 to go.
Watch Clouse’s three that gave Redbank Valley a four-point lead
Mason Clouse then had a key old-school 3-point play with 3:01 left after Clarion had gotten four straight points from Devon Lauer to cut the deficit to two, 47-45.
Watch Mason Clouse slice to the hoop, make the shot, and get fouled.
Clarion (12-4) led 2-18 following a Lauer 3-pointer with 1:56 to play before halftime, but Redbank Valley ended the half on a 6-0 spurt that was finished by a Kieran Fricko layup with 8.5 seconds left in the half.
The teams then battled back and forth through the third quarter with Clarion twice going up four – 33-29 and 35-31 – but never by more.
Redbank grabbed a 35-35 lead on a Carrier 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the quarter before Dawson Smail answered with a layup.
After a free throw by Owen Clouse tied the game at 37, Simko gave Clarion its final lead at 39-37.
Mason Clouse started the fourth quarter by hitting two free throws, Redbank Valley was 13 of 17 from the line compared to Clarion going 2 of 3, to put the Bulldogs up 42-39 before Derek Smail answered to make it 42-41.
But it was following the Derek Smail basket that five straight points, including the Owen Clouse three, pushed the lead to a game-high, at the time, six, 47-41.
The first half was really back-and-forth as well with neither team leading by more than four points before Clarion went on a 7-0 run to take the 25-18 lead.
The game was knotted at 12 after the first quarter before Owen Kriebel put Clarion ahead, 14-12, with this fast break.
Clarion then pushed the lead to 18-14 on buckets by Bryce Brinkley and Simko, the latter on an offensive rebound before Redbank Valley got a triple from Fricko and a free throw by Owen Clouse to tie things at 18.
Here’s the Fricko long-range shot
Redbank Valley did most of its early scoring – six of 12 points – from beyond the arc in the first quarter including a Carrier 3-pointer that put them ahead 6-4.
Wagner led Redbank Valley with 15 points and talked about the victory on the Cole Orthodontic Associates Postgame Interview.
Owen Clouse added 13 points, including 6 of 8 from the line, with Carrier chipping in 11, Mason Clouse nine, and Fricko eight.
Lauer led Clarion with 17 points with Simko adding eight.
