MBSK1-7

ESU-Clarion Men’s Basketball

CLARION – New East Stroudsburg University point guard R.C. Kehoe made a sensational debut against his former team, but theWarriors dropped an 80-77 decision to Clarion in the first round of the Pizza Hut Classic Friday night.

Kehoe, playing his first game for ESU after transferring from Clarion, scored 26

points, fed off seven assists and grabbed five rebounds. He was 10 for 19 from the floor and sank six three-pointers, one short of the school record, in 11 attempts.

ESU forward Shahad Abdur Rahkman also had a big game with 24 points on 11 for 17 shooting, including one three-pointer, and a team-high eight rebounds. Guard Juwan Justice added ten points.

Clarion (7-3) put five players in double figures with David Shearer scoring 21 and Allen Stevens 18. James Bigler and Chris Kelley had 11 points apiece and Tamir Harbin ten.

After trailing at halftime, 40-34, the Warriors caught up and went ahead, 70-69, with 3:03 remaining on two straight three-pointers by Justice and Smith’s free throw.

Shearer took charge, however, with two layups to put Clarion ahead for keeps, 73-70, with l:55 left. ESU closed within one point twice at 73-72 and again at 75-74, both times on Kehoe layups, but the Golden Eagles sank five straight free throws, two apiece by Shearer and Stevens and one by Harbin, in the final 21 seconds to wrap it up.

The Warriors (0-10) now will play West Liberty in a consolation game today at 1 p.m.Clarion will meet Pitt-Johnstown for the championship at 3 p.m. Pitt-Johnston defeated West Liberty, 102-89, in the other first-round game.

Clarion 80

Harbin 2 5-9 10, Shearer 6 9-11 21, Nesmith 0 0-0 0, Kelley 4 3-3 11, Smith 3 1-1 8, Bigler 4 0-0 11, Epps 0 1-2 1, Lindsey 0 0-0 0, Stevens 6 5-6 18, Meese 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 25 24-32 80

East Stroudsburg 77

Rahkman 11 1-2 24, Justice 4 0-0 10, Henderson 2 1-2 5, Smith 3 1-1 8, Kehoe 10 0-0 26, Rouse 0 0-0 0, Kostic 1 0-0 2, Miskar 1 0-0 2. Totals: 32 3-5 77

Three-Point Goals: Clarion – Bigler 3, Harbin, Smith, Stevens; ESU – Kehoe 6, Justice 2, Rahkman, Smith

Halftime: Clarion, 40-34